Poa piperi

Piper's blue grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Piper's blue grass is a California native perennial found in the northwestern Klamath Ranges in Del Norte County, specifically in serpentine, talus, chaparral, and forest openings at elevations of 100 to 500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this grass produces sparse, delicate inflorescences with small spikelets. Growing in tufted clusters 20 to 55 centimeters tall, it spreads through underground rhizomes with firm, narrow blades that are folded and inrolled. Its leaves have distinctive features, with open sheaths and short ligules measuring 1 to 2 millimeters, and sterile stem blades with fine hairs on the upper surface. The plant is dioecious, with unisexual flowers and spikelets featuring diffusely cobwebby calluses.

Habitat: Serpentine, talus, chaparral, forest openings

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 100-500 m

Bioregions: nw KR (Del Norte Co.)

California counties: Del Norte, Siskiyou

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