Elymus ponticus
Tall wheat grass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Elymus ponticus (Tall wheat grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by tall clumping habit, single spikelets, truncate glume tips, awnless.
Tall wheat grass is a naturalized perennial grass found in the Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, southwestern California, and Modoc Plateau in disturbed, often alkaline areas at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from June to July, this grass produces pale green to wheat-colored flower spikes in dense, upright clusters 10 to 42 centimeters long. Growing in clumped tufts with sturdy stems 50 to 220 centimeters tall, it forms dense, compact bunches without underground rhizomes. Its leaf blades are 2 to 6.5 millimeters wide, typically rolled or folded, with prominent raised veins and short auricles at the leaf base. The plant produces compact spikelets with 6 to 12 tightly clustered florets, each attached individually along the flowering stem.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; key features are tall clumping habit, single spikelets, truncate glume tips, awnless
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed, often alkaline areas
Elevation: < 1600 m
California counties: Amador, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, El Dorado, San Diego, Riverside, Sonoma, Sierra, Kern, Placer, Butte, Plumas, Alameda, Marin, Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Modoc, Ventura, Los Angeles, Napa, Santa Cruz
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern United States, native to southeastern Europe, western Asia
Bloom period
Elymus ponticus blooms Jun-Jul.
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 ponticus native to California?
No. Elymus ponticus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Elymus ponticus bloom?
Elymus ponticus blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Elymus ponticus grow?
Elymus ponticus occurs in Amador, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, El Dorado, San Diego, Riverside, Sonoma, Sierra and other counties, at elevations of < 1600 m.
What plant family does Elymus ponticus belong to?
Elymus ponticus is in the Poaceae family, genus Elymus.
What habitat does Elymus ponticus grow in?
Elymus ponticus grows in Disturbed, often alkaline areas.
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.