Poa secunda var. nevadensis
Nevada bluegrass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Poa secunda var. nevadensis (Nevada bluegrass) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by decurrent, acute ligules on stems vs obtuse on lateral shoots.
Nevada bluegrass is a California native perennial grass found in sagebrush uplands, desert regions, and mountain forests throughout the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada at elevations of 900 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from June to July, this grass produces delicate pale green to greenish-white flower clusters in open panicles 10 to 20 centimeters long. Growing with slender stems 50 to 100 centimeters tall, it develops a tufted growth habit with multiple stems emerging from a dense base. Its leaves are narrow and fine, typically folded or rolled inward, with leaf blades reaching 20 to 30 centimeters in length and featuring slightly rough sheaths. The individual spikelets are small, measuring 6 to 10 millimeters long with smooth lemmas 3.5 to 5 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 47 sympatric species; key feature is decurrent, acute ligules on stems vs obtuse on lateral shoots
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist desert and sagebrush uplands and mountain forests
Elevation: (600-)900--3400 m
Outside California: interior western United States
Bloom period
Poa secunda var. nevadensis 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. nevadensis native to California?
Yes. Poa secunda var. nevadensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa secunda var. nevadensis bloom?
Poa secunda var. nevadensis blooms Jun-Jul.
What plant family does Poa secunda var. nevadensis belong to?
Poa secunda var. nevadensis is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa secunda var. nevadensis grow in?
Poa secunda var. nevadensis grows in Moist desert and sagebrush uplands and mountain forests.
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.