Poa iconia var. iconia
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial
Poa iconia var. iconia is a California perennial in the Poaceae family.
Poa iconia is a naturalized perennial grass found in disturbed ground, forests, and grasslands at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this grass produces small, delicate spikelets in loose, spreading clusters up to 10 centimeters long. Growing in dense, tufted clumps with a distinctively bulbous base, it reaches 15 to 60 centimeters tall with soft, narrow leaves. Its leaves are soft and narrow, typically 0.2 to 1 millimeter wide, quickly withering and often having short hairs near the blade and sheath junction. The plant is characterized by its unique reproductive strategy, with spikelets that convert their flowering axis into sterile leafy bulblets with slender, sometimes short-hairy leaflets.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed ground, forests, grasslands, probably common
Elevation: < 1500 m
Outside California: introduced across United States, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, native to easternmost Mediterranean
Bloom period
Poa iconia var. iconia blooms Apr-Jun.
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
When does Poa iconia var. iconia bloom?
Poa iconia var. iconia blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Poa iconia var. iconia belong to?
Poa iconia var. iconia is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa iconia var. iconia grow in?
Poa iconia var. iconia grows in Disturbed ground, forests, grasslands, probably common.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.