Festuca myuros
Rattail sixweeks grass
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Festuca myuros (Rattail sixweeks grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by narrow dense inflorescence enclosed in sheath.
Rattail sixweeks grass is a naturalized annual grass found in California's Central Valley and desert regions in open places and sandy soils at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces pale green to straw-colored flowers in slender, dense inflorescences 4 to 25 centimeters long. Growing with stems up to 75 centimeters tall that are smooth or slightly rough near the flower clusters, it has a delicate, upright form. Its narrow leaves are linear and fine, typical of grasses, with a sparse, wispy appearance. The seed heads develop long, hair-like awns 5 to 15 millimeters in length, giving the plant its distinctive "rattail" characteristic.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species. Distinguished by narrow dense inflorescence enclosed in sheath
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Generally open places, sandy soils
Elevation: < 2000 m
California counties: Humboldt, Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Riverside, San Diego, Fresno, Orange, San Luis Obispo, El Dorado, Calaveras, Inyo, Amador, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Sutter, Butte, Yuba, Shasta, Lassen, Plumas, Alameda, Contra Costa, Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Madera, Monterey, Yolo, Mariposa, San Benito, Stanislaus, Santa Cruz
Outside California: worldwide, probably native to Europe
Bloom period
Festuca myuros blooms Feb-May.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Bromus: Festuca sheaths split open; Bromus sheaths stay closed around the stem.; vs Lolium: Festuca spikelets branch from multiple points; Lolium spikelets sit flat against one side of stem.; vs Aciphylla: Festuca is a grass with thin blade leaves; Aciphylla has rigid spine-tipped tufts.; vs Poa: Festuca lemmas have 5+ veins; Poa lemmas show only 3-5 veins with cobwebby hairs at base.; vs Muhlenbergia: Festuca has multi-flowered chunky spikelets; Muhlenbergia has delicate single-flowered tiny spikelets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Festuca myuros native to California?
No. Festuca myuros is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Festuca myuros bloom?
Festuca myuros blooms Feb-May.
Where in California does Festuca myuros grow?
Festuca myuros occurs in Humboldt, Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 2000 m.
What plant family does Festuca myuros belong to?
Festuca myuros is in the Poaceae family, genus Festuca.
Is Festuca myuros invasive in California?
Festuca myuros is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
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.