Pleuropogon californicus var. davyi

Davy's semaphore grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Davy's semaphore grass is a California native perennial found in northern coastal ranges and inner north Coast Ranges in vernal pools, sloughs, and marshy grasslands at elevations below 650 meters. Flowering from March to June, this grass produces delicate, pale green to greenish-white flower clusters in elongated spikes 15 to 65 millimeters long. Growing in dense, clustered tufts with slender stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms compact, attractive bunches in wet habitats. Its leaves are narrow and grass-like, emerging from the base in a characteristic dense, tufted arrangement with fine, flexible blades. The flower spikelets occasionally have short awns less than 1.5 millimeters long, adding subtle texture to its graceful inflorescence.

Habitat: Vernal pools, sloughs, marshy grassland

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 650 m

Bioregions: NCoRO, NCoRI.

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