Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis
Gulf cockspur grass
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis (Gulf cockspur grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by drooping inflorescence, purple sheaths, and curved awns.
Gulf cockspur grass is a naturalized grass found in coastal and valley regions of California, including Northern California coastal, Northern California Coast Ranges, Great Valley, Southern California, and Peninsular Ranges in marshes and wet places, often growing directly in water, at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from June to September, this grass produces green to purplish spikelets in drooping clusters 10 to 30 centimeters long. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 30 to 150 centimeters tall, it has distinctively long leaf sheaths 7 to 20 centimeters in length, often colored with a purplish tinge. Its leaf blades are long and wide, measuring 12 to 60 centimeters in length and 10 to 25 millimeters across, with spikelets that feature distinctive curved awns 3 to 10 millimeters long. The fruit develops as a brownish structure nestled within the characteristic grass spikelet structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; key features are drooping inflorescence, purple sheaths, and curved awns
Habitat and range
Habitat: Marshes, wet places, often in water
Elevation: < 800 m
Outside California: British Columbia, southern United States, native to Mexico, South America
Bloom period
Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis blooms Jun-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Sorghum: Echinochloa has no ligule and bristly inflorescence; sorghum has a ligule and smooth three-spikelet clusters.; vs Digitaria: Echinochloa lacks a ligule and has bristly branches; crabgrass has a ligule and finger-like smooth branches.; vs Paspalum: Echinochloa has no ligule and bristly flowers; dallisgrass has a ligule and smooth leathery spikelets.; vs Panicum: Echinochloa completely lacks a ligule on upper leaves; panicgrass has a membranous ligule present.; vs Eriochloa: Echinochloa has bristly spikelets without cups; cupgrass has each spikelet sitting in a distinctive cup.
Frequently asked questions
Is Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis native to California?
No. Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis bloom?
Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis blooms Jun-Sep.
What plant family does Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis belong to?
Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis is in the Poaceae family, genus Echinochloa.
What habitat does Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis grow in?
Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis grows in Marshes, wet places, often in water.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.