Elymus californicus
California bottle-brush grass
(c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Elymus californicus (California bottle-brush grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by absence of glumes, plus limited coastal forest habitat.
California bottle-brush grass is a California native perennial found in northern coastal California, including the Santa Cruz Mountains, in conifer forest at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this grass produces pale green to wheat-colored flower spikes in erect clusters 10 to 30 centimeters long. Growing with rigid stems 1 to 2 meters tall, it forms dense clumps with stiff, upright growth. Its flat leaf blades are broad, measuring 10 to 28 millimeters wide, with small slender auricles at the base of each leaf. The plant produces distinctive bottle-brush-like seed heads with long, straight awns 16 to 33 millimeters extending from each spikelet.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; key feature is absence of glumes, plus limited coastal forest habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Conifer forest
Elevation: < 500 m
California counties: San Mateo, Marin, Santa Cruz, Sonoma
Bloom period
Elymus californicus blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Hordeum: Elymus has rounded glume backs; Hordeum has all glumes narrow and bristle-like.; vs Leymus: Elymus has 2-8 spikelets per node; Leymus has just 1-2 spikelets per node.; vs Taeniatherum: Elymus is perennial with robust growth; Taeniatherum is a weedy annual with very long awns.; vs Lolium: Elymus shows multiple spikelets per node; Lolium has single spikelets edgewise to the stem.; vs Thinopyrum: Elymus has prominent auricles; Thinopyrum typically lacks auricles or has very small ones.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elymus californicus native to California?
Yes. Elymus californicus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Elymus californicus bloom?
Elymus californicus blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Elymus californicus grow?
Elymus californicus occurs in San Mateo, Marin, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, at elevations of < 500 m.
What plant family does Elymus californicus belong to?
Elymus californicus is in the Poaceae family, genus Elymus.
Is Elymus californicus rare or endangered?
Elymus californicus carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
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 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.