Leptochloa viscida
Sticky sprangletop, sonoran sprangletop, Sonoran Sprangletop
(c) Sue Carnahan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Leptochloa viscida (Sticky sprangletop) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by sticky lemmas, red florets, and very short appressed branches.
Sticky sprangletop is a California native annual grass found in the San Joaquin Valley (Kern and Fresno counties) and southern Desert regions (Imperial County) in wet places at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces reddish flowers in compact spikes 3 to 8 centimeters long with 4 to 7 florets. Growing with spreading to erect stems 10 to 60 centimeters tall, it has hollow internodes and scabrous leaf sheaths. Its leaves are 2 to 15 centimeters long and 2 to 6 millimeters wide, with a ligule 1 to 3 millimeters long that is minutely jagged. The lemmas are slightly sticky, with hairy veins and a tiny two-lobed tip topped by a slender awn 0.5 to 1 millimeter long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; key features are sticky lemmas, red florets, and very short appressed branches
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet places
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: to Texas, Mexico
Bloom period
Leptochloa viscida blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Diplachne: Leptochloa lemmas have three veins; Diplachne lemmas are prominently nerved with hairy margins.; vs Spartina: Sprangletop has multiple radiating branches; cordgrass has unbranched spike-like panicles.; vs Festuca: Sprangletop lemmas have three veins; fescue lemmas have five or more veins.; vs Sclerochloa: Sprangletop has loose, feathery branching spikes; hardgrass has dense, rigid tufted habit.; vs Echinochloa: Sprangletop has delicate three-veined lemmas; barnyard grass has coarse awned lemmas.
Frequently asked questions
Is Leptochloa viscida native to California?
Yes. Leptochloa viscida is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Leptochloa viscida bloom?
Leptochloa viscida blooms Jul-Sep.
What plant family does Leptochloa viscida belong to?
Leptochloa viscida is in the Poaceae family, genus Leptochloa.
What habitat does Leptochloa viscida grow in?
Leptochloa viscida grows in Wet places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Leptochloa dubia — Green sprangletop
- Leptochloa fusca — Sprangletop
- Leptochloa fusca subsp. fascicularis — Bearded sprangletop
- Leptochloa fusca subsp. uninervia — Mexican sprangletop
- Leptochloa panicea subsp. brachiata — Red sprangletop
- Leptochloa sp.
- Melica aristata — Awned melic
- Melica bulbosa — Oniongrass
- Melica californica — California melic
- Melica frutescens — Woody melic
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.