Stipa hymenoides
Sand rice grass, Sand Rice Grass
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Stipa hymenoides (Sand rice grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by sac-like glumes and short straight deciduous awn.
Sand rice grass is a native perennial found in the California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, southwestern California, Great Basin, and Desert regions in desert or sagebrush scrub, pinyon and juniper woodland, at elevations of 60 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this grass produces pale, delicate flowers in open inflorescences 9 to 20 centimeters long. Growing with slender stems 25 to 70 centimeters tall, it has fine, narrow leaves typically less than one millimeter wide with margins rolled inward. Its leaves are characterized by glabrous to minutely scabrous sheaths, with blade lengths roughly equal to the plant's stems. The plant's distinctive lemma is dark brown to black, densely covered in long hairs, with a short, scabrous awn that easily detaches.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 31 sympatric species; sac-like glumes and short straight deciduous awn are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Desert or sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland, in dry soil, generally sandy
Elevation: 60-3500 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Ventura, Mono, Los Angeles, Inyo, San Diego, Tulare, Lassen, Fresno, Kings, Alpine, Modoc, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Imperial, Sierra, Plumas
Outside California: to Yukon Territory, Manitoba, Minnesota, Arkansas, Texas, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Stipa hymenoides blooms Apr-Jul.
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 hymenoides native to California?
Yes. Stipa hymenoides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa hymenoides bloom?
Stipa hymenoides blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Stipa hymenoides grow?
Stipa hymenoides occurs in San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Ventura, Mono, Los Angeles, Inyo, San Diego and other counties, at elevations of 60-3500 m.
What plant family does Stipa hymenoides belong to?
Stipa hymenoides is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
What habitat does Stipa hymenoides grow in?
Stipa hymenoides grows in Desert or sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland, in dry soil, generally sandy.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.