Poa secunda var. gracillima
Pacific bluegrass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Poa secunda var. gracillima (Pacific bluegrass) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family.
Pacific bluegrass is a native perennial found in the high-elevation montane regions of California, primarily inhabiting damp sites and open springy places, especially on serpentine terrain at elevations of 1,800 to 3,800 meters. Flowering from April to August, this grass produces delicate, soft-textured spikelets 4 to 7 millimeters long with 2 to 4 florets. Growing 20 to 60 centimeters tall with smooth to slightly rough stems, it features soft leaf blades and ligules 1.5 to 4 millimeters long. Its leaves have smooth to lightly scabrous sheaths, with an open, spreading flowering structure that remains widely branched. The plant's lemmas are short-hairy over the lower body, with anthers measuring 1.8 to 2.7 millimeters long.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Mainly damp montane sites, generally at high elevations, also open springy places in serpentine
Elevation: 1800-3800 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, Alberta, Montana
Bloom period
Poa secunda var. gracillima blooms Apr-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. gracillima native to California?
Yes. Poa secunda var. gracillima is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa secunda var. gracillima bloom?
Poa secunda var. gracillima blooms Apr-Aug.
What plant family does Poa secunda var. gracillima belong to?
Poa secunda var. gracillima is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa secunda var. gracillima grow in?
Poa secunda var. gracillima grows in Mainly damp montane sites, generally at high elevations, also open springy places in serpentine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.