Eriochloa aristata var. aristata
Awned cup grass, Awned Cup Grass
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Eriochloa aristata var. aristata (Awned cup grass) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by glume awn and wider leaves.
Awned cup grass is a naturalized perennial found in seasonal streams and riverbanks of the southern Desert region in Imperial County at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from June to November, this grass produces light-colored spikelets with distinctive awns 1 to 3 millimeters long. Growing with stems 40 to 100 centimeters tall, it develops nodes spaced along its length and forms dense clumps in wet habitats. Its leaves are elongated, 6 to 20 centimeters long and 6 to 20 millimeters wide, with smooth surfaces and glabrous sheaths. The plant's spikelets are compact, measuring 4 to 7 millimeters in length and approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters wide.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key feature is glume awn and wider leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Seasonal streams, riverbanks
Elevation: < 100 m
California counties: Imperial, Riverside, Tehama
Outside California: to southern United States, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Eriochloa aristata var. aristata blooms Jun-Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Echinochloa: Eriochloa has spikelets in cups; barnyard grass has bristly spikelets without cups.; vs Digitaria: Eriochloa has each spikelet in a cup; crabgrass has spikelets without basal cups.; vs Paspalum: Eriochloa has spikelets sitting in cups; dallisgrass has spikelets without any cup structure.; vs Panicum: Eriochloa has a distinctive cup under each spikelet; panicgrass spikelets lack cups.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eriochloa aristata var. aristata native to California?
Yes. Eriochloa aristata var. aristata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriochloa aristata var. aristata bloom?
Eriochloa aristata var. aristata blooms Jun-Nov.
Where in California does Eriochloa aristata var. aristata grow?
Eriochloa aristata var. aristata occurs in Imperial, Riverside, Tehama, at elevations of < 100 m.
What plant family does Eriochloa aristata var. aristata belong to?
Eriochloa aristata var. aristata is in the Poaceae family, genus Eriochloa.
What habitat does Eriochloa aristata var. aristata grow in?
Eriochloa aristata var. aristata grows in Seasonal streams, riverbanks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.