Paspalum urvillei
Vasey's grass
(c) Dave Richardson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dave Richardson · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Paspalum urvillei (Vasey's grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by key diagnostic feature is high raceme number (4-30, typically 10-30).
Vasey's grass is a naturalized perennial found in the Southern California Coast and Sacramento Valley regions in disturbed areas at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from June to December, this grass produces straw-yellow to purple spikelets in clusters of 10 to 30 racemes. Growing 50 to 220 centimeters tall with erect stems that form dense tufted clumps, it develops a knotty base with short rhizomes. Its leaves are flat, 2 to 12 millimeters wide, with occasional long hairs near the base and ligules 1 to 4 millimeters long. The small white fruits measure 1.2 to 1.7 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; key diagnostic feature is high raceme number (4-30, typically 10-30)
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: southeastern United States, native to South America
Bloom period
Paspalum urvillei blooms Jun-Dec.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Setaria: Paspalum has hardened leathery spikelets in rows; foxtail has soft spikelets with bristles beneath each one.; vs Eleusine: Paspalum has spikelets in two rows per branch; goosegrass has spikelets in a single row on each branch.; vs Cynodon: Paspalum has thick leathery spikelets in neat rows; bermudagrass has tiny spikelets in a single row.; vs Bromus: Paspalum has single-flowered leathery spikelets; brome has multi-flowered membranous spikelets with awns.; vs Plantago: Paspalum is a grass with leathery spikelets; plantain has broad ribbed leaves and spike-like seed heads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paspalum urvillei native to California?
No. Paspalum urvillei is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Paspalum urvillei bloom?
Paspalum urvillei blooms Jun-Dec.
What plant family does Paspalum urvillei belong to?
Paspalum urvillei is in the Poaceae family, genus Paspalum.
Is Paspalum urvillei invasive in California?
Paspalum urvillei is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
What habitat does Paspalum urvillei grow in?
Paspalum urvillei grows in Disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.