Stipa lettermanii
Letterman's needle grass
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Stipa lettermanii (Letterman's needle grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by intermediate characteristics and montane habitat.
Letterman's needle grass is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin, and desert mountains in meadows, dry slopes, sagebrush scrub, and conifer forests at elevations of 880 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from May to August, this grass produces delicate pale yellow to light green flowers in dense inflorescences 7 to 19 centimeters long. Growing with slender stems 15 to 90 centimeters tall, it forms tufted clumps with fine, narrow leaves less than 2 millimeters wide. Its leaves have glabrous sheaths and blade-like structures that emerge from the base of the plant. The distinctive feature of this grass is its twisted, persistent awn (12 to 25 millimeters long) that bends twice and remains attached to the seed after maturity.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 26 sympatric species; intermediate characteristics and montane habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Meadows, dry slopes, sagebrush scrub, conifer forest, subalpine
Elevation: 880-3200 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Placer, Mono, Riverside, Inyo, Alpine, Plumas, Humboldt, Butte, Glenn, Modoc, Yuba, Tuolumne, Mariposa
Outside California: to Oregon, Montana, New Mexico
Bloom period
Stipa lettermanii blooms May-Aug.
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 lettermanii native to California?
Yes. Stipa lettermanii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa lettermanii bloom?
Stipa lettermanii blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Stipa lettermanii grow?
Stipa lettermanii occurs in San Bernardino, Placer, Mono, Riverside, Inyo, Alpine, Plumas, Humboldt and other counties, at elevations of 880-3200 m.
What plant family does Stipa lettermanii belong to?
Stipa lettermanii is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
What habitat does Stipa lettermanii grow in?
Stipa lettermanii grows in Uncommon. Meadows, dry slopes, sagebrush scrub, conifer forest, subalpine.
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.