Elymus scribneri
Scribner's wheat grass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Elymus scribneri (Scribner's wheat grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by alpine habitat with distinctive prostrate habit and strongly curved awns.
Scribner's wheat grass is a native perennial grass found in the Sierra Nevada, northern Sierra Nevada, and White and Inyo Mountains in rocky alpine areas at elevations of 2,900 to 4,200 meters. Flowering from July to August, this grass produces small spikelets with awns that curve strongly outward, creating a distinctive architectural appearance. Growing in tufted clumps with prostrate to decumbent stems 15 to 55 centimeters long, it forms dense clusters in high-elevation rocky habitats. Its narrow leaves are 1.5 to 4 millimeters wide, typically rolled or flat, with very short auricles less than 1 millimeter long. The grass produces 2 to 12 florets per spikelet, with lemmas bearing curved awns 15 to 30 millimeters long that give the plant a delicate, wispy texture.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; alpine habitat with distinctive prostrate habit and strongly curved awns
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky areas, alpine
Elevation: 2900-4200 m
Outside California: Canada, Rocky Mountains
Bloom period
Elymus scribneri blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.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 scribneri native to California?
Yes. Elymus scribneri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Elymus scribneri bloom?
Elymus scribneri blooms Jul-Aug.
What plant family does Elymus scribneri belong to?
Elymus scribneri is in the Poaceae family, genus Elymus.
Is Elymus scribneri rare or endangered?
Elymus scribneri carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S3.
What habitat does Elymus scribneri grow in?
Elymus scribneri grows in Rocky areas, alpine.
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.