Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by narrow, compact inflorescence and coastal habitat.
Tufted hairgrass is a California native perennial found in coastal regions including northern California Coast, northern California Coast Ranges, delta regions of the Sacramento Valley, and California Coast at elevations below 850 meters in coastal marshes and meadows. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces delicate, narrow inflorescences with pale green to silvery flowers in compact clusters. Growing in loosely to densely clumped formations with glaucous stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it creates distinctive tufted mounds in wet habitats. Its leaves are narrow and grass-like, forming dense clumps with fine, wispy texture. The plant's flowers feature intricate spikelets with glumes 4.6 to 5.8 millimeters long and delicate awns attached near the middle of each lemma.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; distinguished by narrow, compact inflorescence and coastal habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Coastal marshes, meadows
Elevation: < 850 m
California counties: Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Santa Cruz, Marin, Monterey, San Francisco, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Solano, Sacramento
Outside California: British Columbia
Bloom period
Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Oloptum: Deschampsia has hairy spikelet extensions and thread-like basal leaves; Oloptum lacks the fuzzy extension and has wiry, needle-like leaves.; vs Festuca: Deschampsia has airy, open panicles with fuzzy spikelet extensions; Festuca has denser flower clusters without hairy extensions.; vs Panicum: Deschampsia forms basal leaf tufts with hairy spikelet extensions; Panicum has stem leaves and smooth, rounded spikelets.; vs Melica: Deschampsia has hairy spikelet extensions; Melica has a distinctive club-shaped sterile floret cluster at spikelet tips.; vs Poa: Deschampsia has prominent hairy extensions beyond florets; Poa has boat-shaped lemmas with cobwebby hairs at the base only.
Frequently asked questions
Is Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis native to California?
Yes. Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis bloom?
Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis grow?
Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis occurs in Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Santa Cruz and other counties, at elevations of < 850 m.
What plant family does Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis belong to?
Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis is in the Poaceae family, genus Deschampsia.
What habitat does Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis grow in?
Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. holciformis grows in Coastal marshes, meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.