Glyceria elata
Fowl manna grass
(c) Harry Podschwit, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Glyceria elata (Fowl manna grass) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by thick stems and open inflorescence highly diagnostic.
Fowl manna grass is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, San Jacinto Mountains, and Warner Mountains in wet places and conifer forests at elevations below 2,600 meters. Flowering from July to August, this grass produces small, delicate spikelets with ovoid flower clusters spreading in an open inflorescence. Growing with robust stems 60 to 150 centimeters tall and 2.5 to 8 millimeters in diameter, it forms dense clumps in moist habitats. Its leaves are thin and relatively wide, with blades 6 to 15 millimeters across and ligules 2 to 6 millimeters long. The plant's distinctive flower clusters feature 4 to 7 florets with boat-shaped lemma tips, creating a soft, graceful appearance in wet meadows and forest clearings.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; thick stems and open inflorescence highly diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Wet places, conifer forest
Elevation: < 2600 m
California counties: Humboldt, Tulare, San Bernardino, Riverside, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Sonoma, Del Norte, Placer, El Dorado, Madera, Mono, Modoc, Fresno, Trinity, Alpine, Amador, Lake, Shasta, Sierra, Yuba, Butte, Kern, Lassen, Mendocino, Nevada, Plumas, Siskiyou, Tehama, Marin, Glenn, Colusa, San Diego, Orange, San Benito
Outside California: British Columbia, Rocky Mountains
Bloom period
Glyceria elata blooms Jul-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 elata native to California?
Yes. Glyceria elata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Glyceria elata bloom?
Glyceria elata blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Glyceria elata grow?
Glyceria elata occurs in Humboldt, Tulare, San Bernardino, Riverside, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Sonoma, Del Norte and other counties, at elevations of < 2600 m.
What plant family does Glyceria elata belong to?
Glyceria elata is in the Poaceae family, genus Glyceria.
What habitat does Glyceria elata grow in?
Glyceria elata grows in Common. Wet places, 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 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.