Puccinellia distans
European alkali grass
(c) Yurii Basov, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Puccinellia distans (European alkali grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by small anthers and lemma size.
European alkali grass is a naturalized perennial found in California Floristic Province and Great Basin bioregions in saline meadows and flats at elevations below 2,700 meters. Flowering from June to July, this grass produces small, pale flowers in loose spreading clusters typically 2.5 to 20 centimeters long. Growing with slender stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it forms delicate clumps in salt-tolerant habitats. Its leaf blades are narrow, measuring 1 to 7 millimeters wide when flat, and can be either spread out or slightly rolled. The grass has distinctive lemmas with widely obtuse tips and scabrous-serrate margins near the flower ends.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 6 species; key features are small anthers and lemma size
Habitat and range
Habitat: Saline meadows, flats
Elevation: < 2700 m
California counties: Placer, Alameda, Inyo, Lassen, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Los Angeles, Nevada, Plumas, Tulare, Modoc, Mendocino, Mono, Tuolumne, Sierra, Alpine, Monterey
Outside California: to Alaska, northeastern North America, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Puccinellia distans blooms Jun-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Distichlis: Puccinellia has round stems and tufted growth; Distichlis has strongly flattened stems with leaves in two distinct rows.; vs Bromus: Puccinellia has faint 5-veined lemmas in alkaline sites; Bromus has prominent 5-9 veined lemmas in upland sites.; vs Torreyochloa: Puccinellia is tufted in saline soils; Torreyochloa has rhizomes and grows in high-elevation freshwater.; vs Glyceria: Puccinellia has faintly veined lemmas in alkaline soil; Glyceria has prominent veins and closed leaf sheaths in freshwater.; vs Desmazeria: Puccinellia is perennial in alkaline wetlands; Desmazeria is annual of dry disturbed sites with different spikelet structure.
Frequently asked questions
Is Puccinellia distans native to California?
No. Puccinellia distans is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Puccinellia distans bloom?
Puccinellia distans blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Puccinellia distans grow?
Puccinellia distans occurs in Placer, Alameda, Inyo, Lassen, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Los Angeles, Nevada and other counties, at elevations of < 2700 m.
What plant family does Puccinellia distans belong to?
Puccinellia distans is in the Poaceae family, genus Puccinellia.
What habitat does Puccinellia distans grow in?
Puccinellia distans grows in Saline meadows, flats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.