Glyceria borealis
Boreal manna grass, Boreal Manna Grass
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Glyceria borealis (Boreal manna grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by elevation and habitat distinctive, narrow leaves diagnostic.
Boreal manna grass is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Warner Mountains in shallow water, muddy shores, and freshwater ponds within conifer forests at elevations of 800 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces delicate, narrow inflorescences 18 to 50 centimeters long with small, cylindrical spikelets. Growing with robust stems 80 to 150 centimeters tall and approximately 2 millimeters in diameter, it forms dense clusters in wet environments. Its leaves have distinctive ligules 4 to 12 millimeters long and blades 2 to 7 millimeters wide, creating a fine, graceful texture. The spikelets contain 6 to 11 florets, with lemmas widest below the middle and slightly hairy along the veins.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; elevation and habitat distinctive, narrow leaves diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shallow water, muddy shores, freshwater ponds, lakes in conifer forest
Elevation: 800-2200 m
California counties: Mono, Tehama, Lassen, Tuolumne, Modoc, Shasta, El Dorado, Plumas, Siskiyou, Mariposa, Placer, Sierra, Nevada, Tulare, Butte, Mendocino, Glenn, Lake, Madera, Humboldt
Outside California: Alaska, eastern United States, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Glyceria borealis blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Pleuropogon: Glyceria has closed leaf sheaths and 1-veined upper glumes; Pleuropogon has open sheaths and distinctive bumpy, jointed spikelet axes.; vs Oloptum: Glyceria has closed sheaths in wetlands; Oloptum has open sheaths in dry sites with needle-like rolled leaves.; vs Torreyochloa: Glyceria has 1-veined upper glumes; Torreyochloa has 3-veined upper glumes and more prominent lemma veining.; vs Puccinellia: Glyceria has closed leaf sheaths in freshwater; Puccinellia has open sheaths in saline/alkaline sites.; vs Desmazeria: Glyceria is perennial in wetlands with closed sheaths; Desmazeria is annual of dry sites with open sheaths.
Frequently asked questions
Is Glyceria borealis native to California?
Yes. Glyceria borealis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Glyceria borealis bloom?
Glyceria borealis blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Glyceria borealis grow?
Glyceria borealis occurs in Mono, Tehama, Lassen, Tuolumne, Modoc, Shasta, El Dorado, Plumas and other counties, at elevations of 800-2200 m.
What plant family does Glyceria borealis belong to?
Glyceria borealis is in the Poaceae family, genus Glyceria.
What habitat does Glyceria borealis grow in?
Glyceria borealis grows in Shallow water, muddy shores, freshwater ponds, lakes in conifer forest.
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.