Echinochloa muricata var. microstachya

Rough barnyardgrass

Family: Poaceae · Type: annual · Native

Rough barnyardgrass is a native annual grass found in northwestern California, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, Great Valley, southern California coastal areas, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, and Great Basin at elevations below 1,800 meters in moist, often disturbed sites. Flowering from July to September, this grass produces yellow-tinted spikelets that are 2.5 to 3.8 millimeters long with spreading branches. Growing 80 to 160 centimeters tall with erect stems that occasionally root at lower nodes, it forms open, upright inflorescences up to 35 centimeters long. Its leaf blades measure 1 to 27 centimeters long and 4 to 11 millimeters wide, with smooth sheaths extending 6 to 20 centimeters. The upper lemma is leathery with an acute tip, creating a distinctive appearance in moist habitats.

Habitat: Moist, often disturbed sites (rarely in rice fields)

Bloom period: Jul-Sept

Elevation: < 1800 m

Bioregions: NW (exc NCoRH), n SNF, GV, SCo, SnBr, PR, GB

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.