Digitaria californica var. californica
Arizona cottontop
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Digitaria californica var. californica (Arizona cottontop) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by native status, perennial habit, desert habitat, and densely hairy spikelets.
Arizona cottontop is a native perennial grass found in the San Bernardino and San Diego Mountains in rocky hillsides at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from October to November, this plant produces spikelets with white to purple hairy flowers approximately 3 to 4 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 40 to 100 centimeters tall, it forms a dense tussock-like clump with multiple stems. Its leaf blades are 2 to 12 centimeters long and 2 to 5 millimeters wide, ranging from glabrous to slightly hairy. The grass has distinctive inflorescences with 4 to 10 appressed to ascending primary branches, creating a panicle-like arrangement.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinguished by native status, perennial habit, desert habitat, and densely hairy spikelets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky hillsides
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: San Bernardino, San Diego
Outside California: southwestern United States, Mexico to South America
Bloom period
Digitaria californica var. californica blooms Oct-Nov.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Eleusine: Digitaria has flexible mature seeds; goosegrass has flattened hard seeds and often grows in a perfect rosette.; vs Cynodon: Digitaria has 3-10 finger-like branches; bermudagrass has 3-7 branches and spreads by aggressive stolons.; vs Ehrharta: Digitaria has finger-like branches with flexible seeds; veldtgrass has a pyramidal panicle with hardened lemmas.; vs Stenotaphrum: Digitaria has thin finger-like branches; St. Augustine grass has thick, flattened stems and embedded spikelets.; vs Cenchrus: Digitaria has open finger-like branches; sandbur has spikelets enclosed in spiny burs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Digitaria californica var. californica native to California?
Yes. Digitaria californica var. californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Digitaria californica var. californica bloom?
Digitaria californica var. californica blooms Oct-Nov.
Where in California does Digitaria californica var. californica grow?
Digitaria californica var. californica occurs in San Bernardino, San Diego, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Digitaria californica var. californica belong to?
Digitaria californica var. californica is in the Poaceae family, genus Digitaria.
Is Digitaria californica var. californica rare or endangered?
Digitaria californica var. californica carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.