Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea

Carolina love grass, Carolina Love Grass

Eragrostis pectinacea — parent species of Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea

Photo: parent species Eragrostis pectinacea · no rights reserved · CC0

Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native

Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea (Carolina love grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by appressed spikelet stalks (<20° divergence) distinguish from var. miserrima.

Carolina love grass is a California native annual grass found in open disturbed sites and fields at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from July to November, this grass produces delicate, fine panicles with closely appressed spikelets that spread less than 20 degrees from the branch. Growing with slender stems typically 20 to 60 centimeters tall, it forms loose, airy clusters that sway easily in the wind. Its narrow leaves are soft and thin, arranged alternately along the stem, providing a lightweight, feathery appearance. The grass produces numerous small spikelets that give it a soft, delicate texture characteristic of love grass species.

Identification and appearance

Key characters: 11 sympatric species; appressed spikelet stalks (<20° divergence) distinguish from var. miserrima

Habitat and range

Habitat: Open disturbed sites, fields

Elevation: < 1500 m

California counties: Butte, Riverside, Modoc, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Lake, San Bernardino, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Solano, Imperial, Sacramento, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Yolo, San Mateo, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Plumas, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Fresno, Humboldt, Kern, Marin, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Yuba, Colusa, Glenn, Inyo, Siskiyou, Alameda, Contra Costa, Kings

Outside California: to Canada, southeastern United States, Central America

Bloom period

Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea 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. pectinacea native to California?

Yes. Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea is native to California (recorded as native).

When does Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea bloom?

Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea blooms Jul-Nov.

Where in California does Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea grow?

Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea occurs in Butte, Riverside, Modoc, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Lake, San Bernardino and other counties, at elevations of < 1500 m.

What plant family does Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea belong to?

Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea is in the Poaceae family, genus Eragrostis.

What habitat does Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea grow in?

Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea grows in Open disturbed sites, fields.

Related species

Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.

All Eragrostis species · All Poaceae

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.