Ehrharta erecta
Panic veldt grass
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Ehrharta erecta (Panic veldt grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by wider leaves with wavy margins, sessile spikelets, and transversely wrinkled upper sterile lemma.
Panic veldt grass is a naturalized perennial grass found in coastal California regions including Humboldt County, San Francisco Bay Area, southern coastal ranges, and desert areas at elevations generally below 915 meters. Flowering from March to June, this aggressive grass produces pale green to green-white spikelets in open panicle-like clusters 6 to 20 centimeters long. Growing with erect or ascending stems 40 to 100 centimeters tall that can root from lower nodes, it spreads readily in disturbed, often shady and moist habitats. Its leaf blades are 5 to 15 centimeters long, 4 to 15 millimeters wide, with flat, generally glabrous surfaces and often wavy margins. The grass has distinctive pale green spikelets 3 to 6 millimeters long with unequal glumes and multiple stamens.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinguished by wider leaves with wavy margins, sessile spikelets, and transversely wrinkled upper sterile lemma
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed, often shady, moist sites
Elevation: generally < 915 m
California counties: San Francisco, Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Imperial, San Bernardino, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Mendocino, Marin, Yolo, Sonoma, Humboldt
Outside California: only occurrences in North America, native to southern Africa
Bloom period
Ehrharta erecta blooms Mar-Jun.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
Frequently asked questions
Is Ehrharta erecta native to California?
No. Ehrharta erecta is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Ehrharta erecta bloom?
Ehrharta erecta blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Ehrharta erecta grow?
Ehrharta erecta occurs in San Francisco, Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of generally < 915 m.
What plant family does Ehrharta erecta belong to?
Ehrharta erecta is in the Poaceae family, genus Ehrharta.
Is Ehrharta erecta invasive in California?
Ehrharta erecta is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
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.