Festuca temulenta
Darnel, tares, Tares
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Festuca temulenta (Darnel) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by spike-like inflorescence and very large glumes.
Darnel is a naturalized annual grass found throughout California except the eastern Sierra Nevada in open, disturbed sites at elevations of 150 to 1,750 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pale green to whitish spikelets in spike-like inflorescences 7 to 28 centimeters long. Growing with ascending to erect stems 40 to 90 centimeters tall that are smooth to slightly rough, it develops densely clustered grass blades. Its leaf blades are 5 to 20 centimeters long, typically folded when young and 2 to 7 millimeters wide, with very short ligules less than 2 millimeters in length. The spikelets are large, measuring 15 to 30 millimeters long, with prominent lance-shaped glumes that often exceed other spikelet parts.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species. Distinguished by spike-like inflorescence and very large glumes
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, disturbed sites
Elevation: 150-1750 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern United States, native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Festuca temulenta blooms Apr-Jun.
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 temulenta native to California?
No. Festuca temulenta is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Festuca temulenta bloom?
Festuca temulenta blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Festuca temulenta belong to?
Festuca temulenta is in the Poaceae family, genus Festuca.
What habitat does Festuca temulenta grow in?
Festuca temulenta grows in Open, disturbed sites.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.