Polypogon interruptus

Ditch beard grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Ditch beard grass is a California native perennial found in coastal, central, and southern California regions on streambanks at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from May to August, this grass produces delicate purple-tinged flowers in lobed, interrupted inflorescences 1.5 to 18 centimeters long. Growing in clumped formations with stems 50 to 90 centimeters tall, it develops dense, spreading clusters. Its leaves have distinctive ligules 2 to 8 millimeters long, with narrow blades 0.5 to 19.5 centimeters in length and 3 to 6 millimeters wide. The grass has small, scabrous flower glumes with short awns that give it a soft, textured appearance.

Habitat: Common. Streambanks

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 1300 m

Bioregions: CA (exc Teh, GB, DMtns)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.