Stipa capensis
Cape rice grass
(c) yelena_antipova, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Stipa capensis (Cape rice grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by annual habit.
Cape rice grass is a naturalized annual grass found in the southern desert regions of California in desert scrub, roadsides, and disturbed areas at elevations of 80 to 400 meters. Flowering from March to April, this grass produces pale yellow to green-tinged spikelets with distinctive long awns. Growing with slender stems 10 to 100 centimeters tall, it forms dense, upright clumps in open landscapes. Its narrow leaves are less than 3 millimeters wide, with sheaths ranging from glabrous to densely hairy. The plant's most distinctive feature is its long, bent awn measuring 50 to 100 millimeters, which is dense-hairy near the base and becomes scabrous toward the tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; annual habit is diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Desert scrub, roadsides, disturbed areas
Elevation: 80-400 m
Outside California: native to southern Europe, central and western Asia, Africa
Bloom period
Stipa capensis blooms Mar-Apr.
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 capensis native to California?
No. Stipa capensis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Stipa capensis bloom?
Stipa capensis blooms Mar-Apr.
What plant family does Stipa capensis belong to?
Stipa capensis is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
Is Stipa capensis invasive in California?
Stipa capensis is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
What habitat does Stipa capensis grow in?
Stipa capensis grows in Desert scrub, roadsides, disturbed areas.
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.