Pleuropogon californicus
Annual semaphoregrass
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Pleuropogon californicus (Annual semaphoregrass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by occurs in unique range.
Annual semaphoregrass is a native perennial grass found in coastal and northern California grasslands and meadows. Flowering from April to July, this grass produces delicate green to brown spikelets spreading in loose, open panicles up to 35 centimeters long. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 15 to 95 centimeters tall, it occasionally roots weakly at its nodes, creating a flexible, adaptable growth habit. Its leaves are relatively narrow, with blades 3 to 8 millimeters wide and ligules 2 to 6 millimeters long. The grass produces distinctive spikelets 10 to 65 millimeters long, with small glumes and lemmas that give it a characteristic appearance in its native grassland habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated from all congeners; occurs in unique range
Habitat and range
California counties: Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Mendocino, Solano, Sacramento, Lake, Stanislaus, San Mateo, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Humboldt, Yolo, Amador, San Joaquin
How to tell it apart
vs Glyceria: Pleuropogon has winged seed husks; Glyceria seed husks lack wings.; vs Avena: Pleuropogon grows in wet places with nodding clusters; Avena grows in dry disturbed sites with upright clusters.; vs Hordeum: Pleuropogon has broad leaves and nodding spikelets; Hordeum has narrow leaves and upright spikes.; vs Hilaria: Pleuropogon prefers wet grasslands; Hilaria grows in dry deserts with 3-spikelet clusters.; vs Desmazeria: Pleuropogon has nodding spikelets and winged husks; Desmazeria has stiff upright spikelets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pleuropogon californicus native to California?
Yes. Pleuropogon californicus is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Pleuropogon californicus grow?
Pleuropogon californicus occurs in Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Mendocino, Solano, Sacramento and other counties.
What plant family does Pleuropogon californicus belong to?
Pleuropogon californicus is in the Poaceae family, genus Pleuropogon.
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.