Poa leptocoma
Bog blue grass
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Poa leptocoma (Bog blue grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species, distinguished by bog habitat.
Bog blue grass is a native perennial found in high-elevation subalpine and lower alpine environments of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in moist mossy meadows, bogs, and stream edges at elevations of 1,800 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from June to August, this delicate grass produces soft, pale green to bluish-green flower clusters in open, drooping inflorescences up to 15 centimeters long. Growing with slender, lax stems 10 to 70 centimeters tall, it forms loose tufted clumps characteristic of alpine grasslands. Its leaves are soft and generally flat, with open sheaths and tiny ligules measuring 1.5 to 4 millimeters long, creating a fine, wispy appearance. The plant's delicate spikelets feature lemmas with softly hairy margins, reflecting its adaptation to cool, moist high-mountain environments.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species, distinguished by bog habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist subalpine, lower alpine mossy meadows, bogs, streams
Elevation: 1800-3200 m
Outside California: to Alaska, Rocky Mountains
Bloom period
Poa leptocoma blooms Jun-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 leptocoma native to California?
Yes. Poa leptocoma is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa leptocoma bloom?
Poa leptocoma blooms Jun-Aug.
What plant family does Poa leptocoma belong to?
Poa leptocoma is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa leptocoma grow in?
Poa leptocoma grows in Moist subalpine, lower alpine mossy meadows, bogs, streams.
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.