Stipa parishii var. parishii
Parish's needlegrass
Jim Morefield from Nevada, USA (via Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Stipa parishii var. parishii (Parish's needlegrass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by wide blades and single-bent scabrous awns distinctive.
Parish's needlegrass is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, White and Inyo Mountains, and Desert Mountains on dry rocky slopes, scrub, and pinyon-juniper woodland at elevations of 700 to 3,050 meters. Flowering from April to August, this grass produces delicate pale green to silvery spikelets with slender, persistent awns that curve elegantly in a single bend. Growing with slender stems 20 to 80 centimeters tall and 0.8 to 2 millimeters in diameter, it forms dense clumps in arid landscapes. Its leaves have proximal sheaths mostly glabrous, with narrow blades 11 to 30 centimeters long and 2.5 to 4.2 millimeters wide. The distinctive lemma is densely hairy throughout, with an awn 15 to 35 millimeters long that adds a distinctive feathery texture to the plant.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 26 sympatric species; wide blades and single-bent scabrous awns distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry rocky slopes, scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 700-3050 m
California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, San Diego
Outside California: to Utah, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Stipa parishii var. parishii blooms Apr-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 parishii var. parishii native to California?
Yes. Stipa parishii var. parishii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa parishii var. parishii bloom?
Stipa parishii var. parishii blooms Apr-Aug.
Where in California does Stipa parishii var. parishii grow?
Stipa parishii var. parishii occurs in Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, San Diego, at elevations of 700-3050 m.
What plant family does Stipa parishii var. parishii belong to?
Stipa parishii var. parishii is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
What habitat does Stipa parishii var. parishii grow in?
Stipa parishii var. parishii grows in dry rocky slopes, scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland.
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.