Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens
Chilean love grass, Chilean Love Grass
Photo: parent species Eragrostis mexicana · (c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens (Chilean love grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by linear spikelets, non-glandular inflorescence, and ovoid/pyriform fruit separate from other subspecies.
Chilean love grass is a California native annual grass found in disturbed soils and sandy riverbanks at elevations below 2,470 meters. Flowering from May to October, this delicate grass produces small, linear to lance-linear spikelets approximately 1 millimeter wide. Growing with fine, slender stems that spread in loose, open clusters, it forms soft, airy patches in open landscapes. Its narrow leaves are typically light green, blending subtly with surrounding vegetation. The fruit develops as a small, ovoid or pear-shaped seed, characteristic of its grass family.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; linear spikelets, non-glandular inflorescence, and ovoid/pyriform fruit separate from other subspecies
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed soils in fields, sandy riverbanks
Elevation: < 2470 m
California counties: Ventura, Fresno, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Inyo, Solano, Plumas, Mono, Kern, Marin, San Francisco, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Riverside, El Dorado, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Alameda, Lake, San Diego, Shasta, Calaveras, Amador, Sonoma, Alpine, Butte, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Glenn, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, San Mateo, Trinity, Tuolumne, Tulare, Yolo, Sacramento, Tehama, Yuba, Modoc, Merced, Kings, Stanislaus
Outside California: to Nevada, South America
Bloom period
Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens blooms May-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Poa: Eragrostis spikelets are many-flowered and laterally flattened with 3-veined lemmas and no cobwebby tuft at the floret base; Poa lemmas are 5-veined, keeled and boat-tipped, often with webby hairs at the base.; vs Bromus: Eragrostis lemmas are small and awnless with 3 prominent veins; Bromus lemmas are larger, many-veined, and usually bear an awn from a notched tip.; vs Sporobolus: Eragrostis spikelets carry several florets each; Sporobolus spikelets hold a single floret and the ripe seed often falls free or swells with mucilage.; vs Muhlenbergia: Eragrostis spikelets are many-flowered and awnless in an open panicle; Muhlenbergia spikelets are 1-flowered and the lemma is commonly awn-tipped.; vs Leptochloa: Eragrostis carries spikelets in an open, spreading panicle; Leptochloa arranges them along slender, one-sided spike-like branches.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens native to California?
Yes. Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens bloom?
Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens blooms May-Oct.
Where in California does Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens grow?
Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens occurs in Ventura, Fresno, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Inyo, Solano and other counties, at elevations of < 2470 m.
What plant family does Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens belong to?
Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens is in the Poaceae family, genus Eragrostis.
What habitat does Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens grow in?
Eragrostis mexicana subsp. virescens grows in Disturbed soils in fields, sandy riverbanks.
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.