Poa secunda var. scabrella
Pine bluegrass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Poa secunda var. scabrella (Pine bluegrass) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by scabrous inflorescence branches and sheaths.
Pine bluegrass is a California native perennial found in many plant communities across California at elevations up to 2,300 meters. Flowering from February to June, this grass produces pale green to greenish-white spikelets 6 to 10 millimeters long with delicate clusters of florets. Growing with upright stems 40 to 100 centimeters tall, it forms dense clumps with soft to slightly rough leaf blades. Its leaf sheaths are notably scabrous, especially around the collar and margins, with ligules 3 to 7 millimeters long that have a rough texture. The plant's spikelets contain 3 to 7 florets with lemmas that are subtly hairy along the keel and marginal veins.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 47 sympatric species; distinguished by scabrous inflorescence branches and sheaths
Habitat and range
Habitat: Many communities
Elevation: <= 2300 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, Nevada, Baja California
Bloom period
Poa secunda var. scabrella blooms Feb-Jun.
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. scabrella native to California?
Yes. Poa secunda var. scabrella is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Poa secunda var. scabrella bloom?
Poa secunda var. scabrella blooms Feb-Jun.
What plant family does Poa secunda var. scabrella belong to?
Poa secunda var. scabrella is in the Poaceae family, genus Poa.
What habitat does Poa secunda var. scabrella grow in?
Poa secunda var. scabrella grows in Many communities.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.