Stipa stillmanii
Stillman's needle grass
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Stipa stillmanii (Stillman's needle grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by tall stature, wide blades, and distinctive 2-lobed lemma tip.
Stillman's needle grass is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, and northern California Cascades in conifer forest at elevations of 350 to 1,920 meters. Flowering from June to July, this grass produces delicate, pale greenish-yellow spikelets with slender awns. Growing with stems 60 to 150 centimeters tall and emerging from short rhizomes, it forms dense, compact clusters. Its leaf blades are narrow, measuring 3 to 7 millimeters wide, with proximal sheaths mostly smooth and hairless. The distinctive needle-like seed awns are 18 to 25 millimeters long, bent once or twice, and persist after the flowering season.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 23 sympatric species; tall stature, wide blades, and distinctive 2-lobed lemma tip
Habitat and range
Habitat: Conifer forest
Elevation: 350-1920 m
Bloom period
Stipa stillmanii blooms Jun-Jul.
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 stillmanii native to California?
Yes. Stipa stillmanii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa stillmanii bloom?
Stipa stillmanii blooms Jun-Jul.
What plant family does Stipa stillmanii belong to?
Stipa stillmanii is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
What habitat does Stipa stillmanii grow in?
Stipa stillmanii grows in 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.