Poa cusickii subsp. pallida
Photo: parent species Poa cusickii · (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Poa cusickii subsp. pallida is a native California grass in the Poaceae family.
Cusick's pale bluegrass is a native perennial found in central Sierra Nevada and White and Inyo Mountains in high montane to lower alpine dry meadows and ridges at elevations of 2,000 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this grass produces delicate inflorescences with dense, stout branches 3 to 5 centimeters long that are obviously scabrous. Growing with dense basal tufts and stems reaching moderate heights, it develops compact clusters with appressed branches. Its leaves form dense basal clusters with sheaths open along half to four-fifths of their length, featuring barely exposed nodes. The plant reproduces asexually, with lemmas 5 to 6.5 millimeters long and typically glabrous or smoothly textured.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated subspecies with no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. High montane to lower alpine dry meadows, ridges
Elevation: 2000-3500 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono, Lassen
Outside California: western Canada, North Dakota, Colorado
Bloom period
Poa cusickii subsp. pallida blooms Jul-Aug.
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 cusickii subsp. pallida native to California?
Yes. Poa cusickii subsp. pallida is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa cusickii subsp. pallida bloom?
Poa cusickii subsp. pallida blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Poa cusickii subsp. pallida grow?
Poa cusickii subsp. pallida occurs in Inyo, Mono, Lassen, at elevations of 2000-3500 m.
What plant family does Poa cusickii subsp. pallida belong to?
Poa cusickii subsp. pallida is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa cusickii subsp. pallida grow in?
Poa cusickii subsp. pallida grows in Uncommon. High montane to lower alpine dry meadows, ridges.
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.