Stipa brachychaeta
Puna needle grass
(c) Facundo Chieffo, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Stipa brachychaeta (Puna needle grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by awn length is clearly diagnostic.
Puna needle grass is a naturalized perennial found in the central Coast, southern Coast, and southern California Coast Ranges in grasslands, riparian woodlands, open conifer woodlands, and disturbed areas at elevations of 60 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from May to October, this grass produces delicate pale green to tan spikelets with slender, bent awns 10 to 18 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 40 to 90 centimeters tall, it forms dense clumps with narrow, stiff leaf blades 8 to 35 centimeters long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide. Its leaves have inrolled margins with sharp, stiff tips, creating a distinctive narrow and pointed appearance. The grass produces cylindric spikelets with lance-linear glumes and a hairy lemma that becomes glabrous towards the tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; awn length is clearly diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassland, riparian woodland, open conifer woodland, disturbed areas, roadsides
Elevation: 60-1300 m
Outside California: native to South America
Bloom period
Stipa brachychaeta blooms May-Oct.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Nassella: Nassella has feathery plumose awns; Stipa awns are scabrous (rough) not plumose.; vs Oloptum: Oloptum has twice-bent awns with dense crown; Stipa has once-bent awns.; vs Eriocoma: Eriocoma has densely hairy lemmas; Stipa lemmas are smooth to scabrous.; vs Pappostipa: Pappostipa has plumose awns; Stipa awns are rough but not feathery.; vs Bromus: Bromus has multiple-flowered spikelets; Stipa has single-flowered spikelets with bent awns.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stipa brachychaeta native to California?
No. Stipa brachychaeta is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Stipa brachychaeta bloom?
Stipa brachychaeta blooms May-Oct.
What plant family does Stipa brachychaeta belong to?
Stipa brachychaeta is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
Is Stipa brachychaeta invasive in California?
Stipa brachychaeta is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
What habitat does Stipa brachychaeta grow in?
Stipa brachychaeta grows in Grassland, riparian woodland, open conifer woodland, disturbed areas, roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.