Stipa nelsonii var. dorei
Mountain needle grass
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Stipa nelsonii var. dorei (Mountain needle grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by large size and awn characteristics.
Mountain needle grass is a California native perennial found in the northern Sierra Nevada, northern California Ranges, and northern Mountain Provinces in openings, sagebrush scrub, and meadows at elevations of 450 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to September, this grass produces pale straw-colored flowers in dense inflorescences 9 to 36 centimeters long. Growing with tall stems 40 to 175 centimeters high, it has distinctive needle-like leaves 1.2 to 5 millimeters wide. Its leaves vary from glabrous to hairy, with proximal leaf sheaths ranging from smooth to densely covered in fine hairs. The grass produces an elegant, bent awn 19 to 31 millimeters long that twists characteristically above each delicate flower.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species; large size and awn characteristics help distinguish
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings, sagebrush scrub, meadows
Elevation: 450-3500 m
Outside California: to Yukon Territory, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, Texas
Bloom period
Stipa nelsonii var. dorei blooms Jun-Sep.
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 nelsonii var. dorei native to California?
Yes. Stipa nelsonii var. dorei is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa nelsonii var. dorei bloom?
Stipa nelsonii var. dorei blooms Jun-Sep.
What plant family does Stipa nelsonii var. dorei belong to?
Stipa nelsonii var. dorei is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
What habitat does Stipa nelsonii var. dorei grow in?
Stipa nelsonii var. dorei grows in Openings, sagebrush scrub, meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Stipa nevadensis — Nevada needle grass
- Stipa occidentalis — Western needlegrass
- Stipa occidentalis var. californica — California needle grass
- Stipa occidentalis var. occidentalis — Western needle grass
- Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens — Common western needle grass
- Stipa parishii var. parishii — Parish's needlegrass
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.