Poa bigelovii
Bigelow's blue grass
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Poa bigelovii (Bigelow's blue grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by distinctive linear inflorescence and abruptly prow-tipped leaves.
Bigelow's blue grass is a California native annual grass found in southern California's desert regions and desert mountain areas in shady places within desert scrub and yellow-pine forest at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from March to May, this grass produces pale green to greenish-white flower spikelets in compact linear clusters. Growing in tufted clumps 15 to 40 centimeters tall with soft, flat leaf blades that are abruptly prow-tipped, it forms delicate grassy clusters. Its leaves have distinctive soft blades 1.5 to 5 millimeters wide with open sheaths and truncate ligules that are minutely rough to the touch. The flower spikelets feature lemmas with cobwebby calluses and hairy veins, creating a subtle textural complexity.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 24 sympatric species; distinctive linear inflorescence and abruptly prow-tipped leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Shady places in desert scrub, yellow-pine forest
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: San Bernardino, San Diego, Inyo, Imperial, Riverside, Kern, Nevada
Outside California: to Colorado, Texas, northwestern Mexico
Bloom period
Poa bigelovii blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Festuca: Poa has boat-shaped, keeled leaf tips; Festuca leaves are flat or rolled but never keeled like a ship's prow.; vs Melica: Poa has fine, narrow leaves with boat-shaped tips; Melica has wider, flat leaves without the distinctive keel.; vs Nassella: Poa leaves have boat-shaped tips you can feel; Nassella leaves roll inward and lack the keel.; vs Koeleria: Poa has cobwebby hairs at seed base and keeled leaf tips; Koeleria lacks both features.; vs Holcus: Poa has boat-shaped leaf tips; Holcus leaves are flat and soft-hairy without any keel.
Frequently asked questions
Is Poa bigelovii native to California?
Yes. Poa bigelovii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa bigelovii bloom?
Poa bigelovii blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Poa bigelovii grow?
Poa bigelovii occurs in San Bernardino, San Diego, Inyo, Imperial, Riverside, Kern, Nevada, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Poa bigelovii belong to?
Poa bigelovii is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa bigelovii grow in?
Poa bigelovii grows in Uncommon. Shady places in desert scrub, yellow-pine forest.
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.