Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum
Scribner's panic grass
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum (Scribner's panic grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by distinctive orange spot at base of upper glume.
Scribner's panic grass is a native perennial found in northwestern California meadows and open forest sites at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from May to August, this grass produces green spikelets with distinctive orange-spotted upper glumes. Growing with stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it forms delicate clumps in open woodland areas. Its leaf blades are 3 to 14 centimeters long, 3 to 15 millimeters wide, with leaf sheaths ranging from 2 to 8 centimeters that are either glabrous or short-hairy. The compact inflorescence is 5 to 8 centimeters long, with spikelets arranged singly at each node.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; distinctive orange spot at base of upper glume
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, open sites in forest
Elevation: < 1400 m
California counties: Shasta, Trinity, Humboldt, Siskiyou
Outside California: to Canada, eastern United States
Bloom period
Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum blooms May-Aug.
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 oligosanthes var. scribnerianum native to California?
Yes. Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum bloom?
Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum grow?
Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum occurs in Shasta, Trinity, Humboldt, Siskiyou, at elevations of < 1400 m.
What plant family does Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum belong to?
Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum is in the Poaceae family, genus Panicum.
What habitat does Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum grow in?
Panicum oligosanthes var. scribnerianum grows in Meadows, open sites in forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Panicum rigidulum subsp. rigidulum — Redtop panicum
- Panicum sp. — Panic grass
- Panicum urvilleanum — Silky panic grass
- Panicum acuminatum — Western panicgrass
- Panicum acuminatum var. fasciculatum — Pacific panic grass
- Panicum acuminatum var. lindheimeri — Lindheimer panicgrass
- Parapholis incurva — Curved sicklegrass
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.