Stipa arida

Mormon needle grass

Family: Poaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Mormon needle grass is a native perennial ranked 2B.3 by CNPS found in the Mojave Desert in shrublands, pinyon and juniper woodlands, and rocky outcrops at elevations of 1,100 to 1,850 meters. Flowering from May to August, this grass produces delicate pale tan to silvery flowers with long, distinctive awns that create an elegant, feathery appearance. Growing with slender stems 35 to 85 centimeters tall, it develops dense, compact inflorescences that rise above its narrow leaf blades. Its leaves are characteristically thin, with proximal sheaths that are smooth and blade width rarely exceeding 3 millimeters. The grass produces distinctive needle-like awns 40 to 80 millimeters long that are minutely rough and subtly curved, giving the plant its memorable texture and form.

Habitat: Outcrops, shrub land, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: 1100-1850 m

Bioregions: DMoj

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Mono

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