Poa secunda var. ampla
Sherman big bluegrass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Poa secunda var. ampla (Sherman big bluegrass) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family.
Sherman big bluegrass is a California native perennial found in upper sagebrush slopes and yellow pine forests of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range at elevations of 800 to 2,900 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces delicate pale green to white flower spikelets 7 to 10 millimeters long in narrow, elongated clusters. Growing 60 to 180 centimeters tall with upright, slender stems, it forms dense clumps with firm, flat to folded leaf blades. Its leaves feature smooth sheaths and small ligules 1 to 2 millimeters long, with lateral leaf blades extending 15 to 30 centimeters. The plant's lemmas are glabrous with slightly scabrous upper surfaces, giving the grass a subtle textural complexity.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Mostly upper sagebrush slopes and yellow pine forests, not alkaline or saline
Elevation: 800-2900 m
Outside California: western cool-temperate North America
Bloom period
Poa secunda var. ampla blooms May-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 secunda var. ampla native to California?
Yes. Poa secunda var. ampla is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa secunda var. ampla bloom?
Poa secunda var. ampla blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Poa secunda var. ampla belong to?
Poa secunda var. ampla is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa secunda var. ampla grow in?
Poa secunda var. ampla grows in Mostly upper sagebrush slopes and yellow pine forests, not alkaline or saline.
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.