Poa secunda var. juncifolia
Alkali bluegrass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Poa secunda var. juncifolia (Alkali bluegrass) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by alkaline habitat preference and short, obtuse ligules.
Alkali bluegrass is a native perennial found in the western United States in moist to dry saline or alkaline flats, meadows, pine forests, and steppe environments at elevations of 800 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from June to July, this grass produces small, delicate flower clusters in a narrow, upright arrangement. Growing up to one meter tall with firm, mostly inrolled leaf blades less than 15 centimeters long, it forms dense tufted clumps characteristic of bluegrass species. Its leaves have smooth sheaths and short ligules between 1 to 2 millimeters long, with blades that are relatively stiff and typically folded or rolled. The plant's spikelets are 7 to 10 millimeters long, containing 3 to 6 individual florets with lemmas that are slightly scabrous or rough to the touch.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 47 sympatric species; key features are alkaline habitat preference and short, obtuse ligules
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist to dry saline or alkaline flats and meadows, pine forests and steppe
Elevation: 800-2600 m
Outside California: western cool-temperate North America
Bloom period
Poa secunda var. juncifolia blooms Jun-Jul.
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. juncifolia native to California?
Yes. Poa secunda var. juncifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa secunda var. juncifolia bloom?
Poa secunda var. juncifolia blooms Jun-Jul.
What plant family does Poa secunda var. juncifolia belong to?
Poa secunda var. juncifolia is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa secunda var. juncifolia grow in?
Poa secunda var. juncifolia grows in Moist to dry saline or alkaline flats and meadows, pine forests and steppe.
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.