Stipa divaricata
Small-flowered rice grass, Small-Flowered Rice Grass
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Stipa divaricata (Small-flowered rice grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by small floret and short deciduous awn.
Small-flowered rice grass is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in White and Inyo Mountains and desert mountains in gravel benches, rocky slopes, and creek banks at elevations of 800 to 3,100 meters. Flowering from June to September, this delicate grass produces pale flowers in open branching inflorescences with slender, compressed spikelets. Growing with stems 20 to 85 centimeters tall, it forms fine, dense clusters with glabrous leaf sheaths. Its narrow leaf blades are 5 to 16 centimeters long, typically less than 2.5 millimeters wide with margins generally rolled inward. The grass has a distinctive awn 4 to 8 millimeters long, nearly straight and easily detached from the small lemma.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; small floret and short deciduous awn are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravel benches, rocky slopes, creek banks
Elevation: 800-3100 m
California counties: Mono, San Diego
Outside California: to British Columbia, Manitoba, North Dakota, Texas
Bloom period
Stipa divaricata blooms Jun-Sep.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
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 divaricata native to California?
Yes. Stipa divaricata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa divaricata bloom?
Stipa divaricata blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Stipa divaricata grow?
Stipa divaricata occurs in Mono, San Diego, at elevations of 800-3100 m.
What plant family does Stipa divaricata belong to?
Stipa divaricata is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
Is Stipa divaricata rare or endangered?
Stipa divaricata carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S1S2.
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.