Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens
Photo: parent species Poa cusickii · (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by . Key features: apomictic, exposed nodes, sparse inflorescence, few-flowered branches.
Cusick's bluegrass is a native perennial grass found in the Klamath Ranges and northern Sierra Nevada Mountains in moist subalpine forests, meadows, and rocky ledges at elevations of 2,100 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to September, this grass produces delicate purplish-green inflorescences 4 to 8 centimeters long with sparse, ascending branches. Growing with slender stems 17 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms sparse basal tufts with open leaf sheaths. Its leaves have 1 to 2 exposed nodes, with basal clusters that are relatively sparse and delicate. This unusual grass is notable for producing fruit through asexual means, with lemmas 4.5 to 7 millimeters long and sparsely hairy along the margins.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species. Key features: apomictic, exposed nodes, sparse inflorescence, few-flowered branches
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist subalpine forest, meadows, ledges
Elevation: 2100-3500 m
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens blooms Jul-Sep.
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. purpurascens native to California?
Yes. Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens bloom?
Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens blooms Jul-Sep.
What plant family does Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens belong to?
Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens grow in?
Poa cusickii subsp. purpurascens grows in Moist subalpine forest, meadows, ledges.
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.