Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens
Common western needle grass
Photo: parent species Stipa occidentalis · no rights reserved · CC0
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens (Common western needle grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by hairy stems/sheaths and robust growth.
Common western needle grass is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and San Bernardino Mountains in sagebrush scrub and conifer forest at elevations of 1,200 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this grass produces green-tinted spikelets with delicate, hair-like awns up to 50 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 30 to 120 centimeters tall and 0.8 to 1.3 millimeters in diameter, it has distinctively short-hairy proximal internodes. Its leaf blades are narrow, measuring 1 to 3 millimeters wide, with proximal sheaths generally covered in soft hairs. The grass's most distinctive feature is its awn, which has densely hairy proximal segments and a scabrous to glabrous distal segment.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species; distinguished by hairy stems/sheaths and robust growth
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sagebrush scrub, conifer forest
Elevation: 1200-3500 m
Outside California: to southwestern Canada, Montana, Colorado, Arizona
Bloom period
Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens 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 occidentalis var. pubescens native to California?
Yes. Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens bloom?
Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens blooms May-Aug.
What plant family does Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens belong to?
Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
What habitat does Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens grow in?
Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens grows in Sagebrush scrub, conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.