Poa napensis

Napa blue grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Napa blue grass is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in southeastern North Coast Ranges near Calistoga, Napa County in low sterile mineralized ground near hot springs at elevations of 100 to 200 meters. Flowering in May, this plant produces pale green to bluish flowers in dense, scabrous spikelets. Growing as a densely tufted grass 30 to 100 centimeters tall with ascending stems, it forms compact clumps with firm, narrow leaves. Its leaf blades are 1 to 3 millimeters wide, folded or tightly rolled, with rough (scabrous) surfaces and ligules 4 to 6 millimeters long. The plant's delicate spikelets are concentrated in the upper half of an open, 5 to 15 centimeter inflorescence, creating a distinctive compact grass structure.

Habitat: Low sterile mineralized ground near hot springs

Bloom period: May

Elevation: 100-200 m

Bioregions: se NCoRO (near Calistoga, Napa Co.).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.