Poa fendleriana
Muttongrass
(c) Martin Purdy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Poa fendleriana (Muttongrass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family.
Muttongrass is a California native perennial grass found in various mountain and foothill regions across the state, growing in diverse habitats from 1,500 to 3,000 meters elevation. Flowering during the summer months from June to August, this grass produces small, dense inflorescences that are lanceolate to ovate, typically 2 to 12 centimeters long. Growing in dense, tufted clumps with short rhizomes and reaching 15 to 70 centimeters tall, it forms compact bunches with firm, narrow leaves. Its leaves are typically 1 to 4 millimeters wide, folded or rolled inward, with the upper stem leaves often reduced to vestigial blades. The grass is characterized by its fine, hairy leaf surfaces and delicate, smooth to slightly rough branches in its compact seed clusters.
Habitat and range
California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, Mono, San Diego, Tulare, Kern, Tehama, Del Norte, Los Angeles, San Benito, Lassen, Mendocino, Sierra, Nevada, Alpine, Orange, Placer
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 fendleriana native to California?
Yes. Poa fendleriana is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Poa fendleriana grow?
Poa fendleriana occurs in San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo, Mono, San Diego, Tulare, Kern, Tehama and other counties.
What plant family does Poa fendleriana belong to?
Poa fendleriana is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
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.