Isoetes nuttallii
Nuttall's quillwort
(c) Timothy McNitt, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Timothy McNitt · licence
Family: Isoetaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Isoetes nuttallii (Nuttall's quillwort) is a native California grass in the Isoetaceae family, recognized by terrestrial habitat, large size (>8cm, >1mm wide), and brittle texture.
Nuttall's quillwort is a California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, northern San Joaquin Valley, central western California, southern California, Peninsular Ranges, and western Modoc Plateau in seasonally wet soil and temporary streams at elevations generally below 1,500 meters. No flowering information is available for this species. Growing with rigid, brittle leaves generally over 8 centimeters long and more than 1 millimeter wide, this quillwort has a distinctive white to brownish base often surrounded by several black scales. Its leaves are light green to gray-green, tapering to a delicate point and deciduous in nature. The plant produces male spores approximately 0.02 to 0.03 millimeters in size and larger female spores 0.35 to 0.6 millimeters long that are somewhat shiny and slightly tubercled.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species - key features are terrestrial habitat, large size (>8cm, >1mm wide), and brittle texture
Habitat and range
Habitat: Seasonally wet soil, temporary streams
Elevation: generally < 1500(2760) m
California counties: Tulare, Shasta, San Luis Obispo, Tuolumne, Alpine, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Mendocino, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, San Diego, Trinity, Lassen, Sierra, Marin, Madera, Sonoma, Yuba, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Lake, Sutter, Merced, Santa Clara, Plumas, Kern, Tehama, Placer, Sacramento, Modoc, Humboldt, Stanislaus, Amador, Solano
Outside California: to British Columbia
How to tell it apart
vs Juncus: Isoetes has a bulbous corm-like base with embedded spore capsules; Juncus has fibrous roots without sporangia.; vs Subularia: Isoetes leaves arise from a bulbous base; Subularia has a thin taproot with small white flowers above the leaves.; vs Triglochin: Isoetes has spore capsules at leaf bases; Triglochin produces tall flower spikes with tiny greenish flowers.; vs Sparganium: Isoetes forms tight tufts from a corm; Sparganium has creeping stems and round, burr-like flower heads.; vs Pilularia: Isoetes leaves stand rigidly erect; Pilularia leaves coil in fiddlehead fashion when young.
Frequently asked questions
Is Isoetes nuttallii native to California?
Yes. Isoetes nuttallii is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Isoetes nuttallii grow?
Isoetes nuttallii occurs in Tulare, Shasta, San Luis Obispo, Tuolumne, Alpine, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of generally < 1500(2760) m.
What plant family does Isoetes nuttallii belong to?
Isoetes nuttallii is in the Isoetaceae family, genus Isoetes.
What habitat does Isoetes nuttallii grow in?
Isoetes nuttallii grows in Seasonally wet soil, temporary streams.
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.