Stipa diegoensis
San diego needle grass, San Diego Needle Grass
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Stipa diegoensis (San diego needle grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by hairy internodes below nodes.
San diego needle grass is a California native perennial ranked 4.2 by CNPS, found in northern and southern Channel Islands including San Nicolas Island and the Peninsular Ranges in chaparral and coastal-sage scrub near rocky streams or coastal areas at elevations below 2,280 meters. Flowering from March to June, this grass produces delicate pale straw-colored flowers with slender, scabrous awns up to 50 millimeters long. Growing with tall stems 110 to 140 centimeters high, it features densely hairy internodes just below each node. Its narrow leaf blades measure 15 to 40 centimeters long and 1 to 3.5 millimeters wide, with proximal leaf sheaths generally puberulent. The distinctive twisted, persistent awns give this needle grass a graceful, feathery appearance characteristic of its genus.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 sympatric species; hairy internodes below nodes are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Chaparral, coastal-sage scrub, in rocky soil near streams or the coast
Elevation: < 2280 m
California counties: San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Stipa diegoensis blooms Mar-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
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 diegoensis native to California?
Yes. Stipa diegoensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa diegoensis bloom?
Stipa diegoensis blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Stipa diegoensis grow?
Stipa diegoensis occurs in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, at elevations of < 2280 m.
What plant family does Stipa diegoensis belong to?
Stipa diegoensis is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
Is Stipa diegoensis rare or endangered?
Stipa diegoensis carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S4.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.