Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri
Lindheimer panicgrass
Photo: parent species Panicum acuminatum · (c) aarongunnar, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri (Lindheimer panicgrass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by glabrous stems and sheaths.
Lindheimer panicgrass is a California native perennial found in northern coastal, California Ranges, Great Valley, and southern Great Basin bioregions in moist places near springs or seeps at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces delicate, pale green to greenish-brown spikelets in narrow clusters 4 to 12 centimeters long. Growing with smooth, upright stems 30 to 70 centimeters tall, it develops slender, graceful culms that rise from a clumped base. Its leaf blades are narrow and elongated, measuring 3 to 15 centimeters long and 3 to 11 millimeters wide, with smooth surfaces and slightly hairy margins near the base. The tiny spikelets, measuring just 1.4 to 1.8 millimeters long, are generally elliptic in shape with lower glumes less than 0.5 millimeters.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; key feature is glabrous stems and sheaths
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist places, generally near springs or seeps
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Tehama, Fresno, Tulare
Outside California: to eastern United States, Texas, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri blooms May-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Deschampsia: Panicum has thick rigid lemmas and well-developed lower glumes; hairgrass has thin awned florets and tiny glumes.; vs Dichanthelium: Panicum has a single flowering period; rosette grass produces two distinct flower types (spring and summer).; vs Hilaria: Panicum has single spikelets on branches; curly mesquite has spikelets in clusters of three along a spike.; vs Sorghum: Panicum has single spikelets throughout panicle; sorghum has three-spikelet groups at branch tips.; vs Echinochloa: Panicum has a membranous ligule and panicle; barnyard grass lacks a ligule and has bristly branches.
Frequently asked questions
Is Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri native to California?
Yes. Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri bloom?
Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri blooms May-Oct.
Where in California does Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri grow?
Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri occurs in San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Tehama, Fresno, Tulare, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri belong to?
Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri is in the Poaceae family, genus Panicum.
What habitat does Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri grow in?
Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri grows in Moist places, generally near springs or seeps.
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.