Muhlenbergia californica

California muhly

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

California muhly is a California native perennial found in southern California coastal areas, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, and San Jacinto Mountains in streambanks and canyon habitats at elevations of 100 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces yellow-green flowers in narrow clusters 5 to 13 centimeters long with short, dense branches. Growing with slender stems 30 to 70 centimeters tall and short, creeping rhizomes, it spreads in clumps with distinctive grass-like characteristics. Its flat leaves are 4 to 16 centimeters long and 2 to 6 millimeters wide, with tiny truncate ligules irregularly toothed at the edges. The delicate flower spikelets feature short, soft hairs and fine awns, creating a soft, feathery appearance characteristic of this native grass.

Habitat: Streambanks, canyons

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: 100-2000 m

Bioregions: SCo, SnGb, SnBr, SnJt.

California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.