Stipa purpurata
Bristly needle grass
no rights reserved · CC0
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Stipa purpurata (Bristly needle grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by non-native status, deciduous awns, and dark seeds distinctive.
Bristly needle grass is a naturalized perennial found in coastal California bioregions including North Coast and Central Coast in meadows, grasslands, open woodlands, and disturbed areas at elevations of 100 to 200 meters. Flowering from April to June, this grass produces delicate inflorescences 3 to 15 centimeters long with dense, compact clusters of small spikelets. Growing with slender stems 20 to 40 centimeters tall, it develops glabrous leaf sheaths and fine leaf blades 5 to 12.5 centimeters long and less than 1.5 millimeters wide. Its leaf blades are narrow and fine, emerging from smooth, pale green sheaths that provide a subtle architectural structure to the plant. The mature spikelets develop dark brown lemmas with distinctive bent awns 10 to 16 millimeters long, which give the grass its characteristic bristly appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; non-native status, deciduous awns, and dark seeds distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, grassland, open woodland, disturbed areas
Elevation: 100-200 m
California counties: Marin
Outside California: native to South America
Bloom period
Stipa purpurata blooms Apr-Jun.
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 purpurata native to California?
No. Stipa purpurata is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Stipa purpurata bloom?
Stipa purpurata blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Stipa purpurata grow?
Stipa purpurata occurs in Marin, at elevations of 100-200 m.
What plant family does Stipa purpurata belong to?
Stipa purpurata is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
What habitat does Stipa purpurata grow in?
Stipa purpurata grows in Meadows, grassland, open woodland, disturbed areas.
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.