Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana
Mutton grass, Mutton Grass
Photo: parent species Poa fendleriana · (c) Martin Purdy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana (Mutton grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by . Key features: dioecious, short ligule, densely cespitose, hairy lemma veins.
Mutton grass is a native perennial found in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains in yellow-pine forest and subalpine slopes at elevations of 3,000 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this grass produces delicate light green to pale green flowers in small, compact spikelets. Growing with slender stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms dense tufted clumps with fine, narrow leaves. Its leaf blades are narrow, measuring 1 to 3 millimeters wide, with a distinctive short ligule 0.2 to 1.2 millimeters long that has a scabrous or short-ciliate margin. The plant's lemmas are characterized by hairy keels and marginal veins, giving it a softly textured appearance in mountain grasslands.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 12 sympatric species. Key features: dioecious, short ligule, densely cespitose, hairy lemma veins
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Slopes, yellow-pine forest to subalpine
Elevation: 3000-3200 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Texas, northwestern Mexico
Bloom period
Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana blooms May-Jul.
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 subsp. fendleriana native to California?
Yes. Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana bloom?
Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana belong to?
Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana grow in?
Poa fendleriana subsp. fendleriana grows in Uncommon. Slopes, yellow-pine forest to subalpine.
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.