Danthonia californica
California oat grass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Danthonia californica (California oat grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by size, reflexed blades, and multiple spreading spikelets.
California oat grass is a native perennial grass found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central western California, southern California mountains, southern peninsular region, and Modoc Plateau in moist meadows and open woodlands at elevations of 45 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from April to August, this grass produces pale green to straw-colored spikelets 14 to 25 millimeters long with delicate, spreading branches. Growing with stems 10 to 130 centimeters tall, it forms dense, flexible clumps with both basal and stem leaves. Its leaves are narrow, 2 to 5 millimeters wide, with flat blades that spread abruptly or bend backward, featuring hairy bases and margins. The grass produces distinctive lemmas with 2 to 5 millimeter teeth and 4 to 12 millimeter awns, giving it a feathery, textured appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; distinguished by size, reflexed blades, and multiple spreading spikelets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally moist meadows, open woodland
Elevation: 45-2300 m
California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, San Luis Obispo, Lassen, San Mateo, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Placer, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Napa, Modoc, Trinity, Yuba, Shasta, Mariposa, Amador, Alameda, Butte, Fresno, Glenn, Lake, Marin, Monterey, Nevada, Plumas, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Tehama, Tulare, Contra Costa, Madera, Sierra, Colusa, Solano, San Bernardino, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Calaveras, San Diego, Yolo
Outside California: to western United States, western Canada, South America (Chile)
Bloom period
Danthonia californica blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Avena: Danthonia glumes wrap tightly around florets; Avena glumes are shorter, leaving florets exposed.; vs Bromus: Danthonia glumes are longer than florets; Bromus glumes are shorter than florets.; vs Nassella: Danthonia has multiple florets per spikelet; Nassella has single florets with twisted awns.; vs Lolium: Danthonia spikelets have 2 prominent glumes; Lolium spikelets sit edgewise with only 1 visible glume.; vs Carex: Danthonia is a grass with open flower clusters; Carex is a sedge with flowers in dense spikes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Danthonia californica native to California?
Yes. Danthonia californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Danthonia californica bloom?
Danthonia californica blooms Apr-Aug.
Where in California does Danthonia californica grow?
Danthonia californica occurs in Humboldt, Mendocino, Del Norte, San Luis Obispo, Lassen, San Mateo, Siskiyou, Sonoma and other counties, at elevations of 45-2300 m.
What plant family does Danthonia californica belong to?
Danthonia californica is in the Poaceae family, genus Danthonia.
What habitat does Danthonia californica grow in?
Danthonia californica grows in Generally moist meadows, open woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.