Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima
Gulf love grass, Gulf Love Grass
Photo: parent species Eragrostis pectinacea · no rights reserved · CC0
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima (Gulf love grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by spreading spikelet stalks distinguish from var. pectinacea.
Gulf love grass is a California native annual found in northern Sierra Nevada Foothill and Central Valley regions in open disturbed sites and fields at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from July to November, this grass produces delicate, spreading panicles with fine, light-colored spikelets. Growing with slender stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms loose, airy tufts in open habitats. Its narrow leaves are typically 5 to 15 centimeters long, flat and linear, with a soft, feathery appearance. The inflorescence features distinctive spreading spikelets that create a delicate, open branching pattern characteristic of love grasses.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; spreading spikelet stalks distinguish from var. pectinacea
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open disturbed sites, fields
Elevation: < 500 m
Outside California: to southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Bloom period
Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima blooms Jul-Nov.
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 pectinacea var. miserrima native to California?
Yes. Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima bloom?
Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima blooms Jul-Nov.
What plant family does Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima belong to?
Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima is in the Poaceae family, genus Eragrostis.
What habitat does Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima grow in?
Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima grows in Open disturbed sites, fields.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea — Carolina love grass
- Eragrostis pilosa var. pilosa — Indian lovegrass
- Eragrostis sp. — Love grass
- Eragrostis barrelieri — Mediterranean love grass
- Eragrostis cilianensis — Stink grass
- Eragrostis curvula — Weeping love grass
- Eriochloa acuminata var. acuminata — Southwestern cup grass
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.