Stipa thurberiana
Thurber's needle grass
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Stipa thurberiana (Thurber's needle grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by long ligules and thick leathery lemma tip distinctive.
Thurber's needle grass is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California mountains, Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountains, western Transverse Ranges, and Great Basin in canyons, foothills, sagebrush scrub, and juniper woodland at elevations of 800 to 3,100 meters. Flowering from May to July, this grass produces delicate pale greenish-white flower clusters in dense, narrow inflorescences 7 to 15 centimeters long. Growing with slender stems 30 to 75 centimeters tall, it forms graceful, somewhat upright clumps with fine, wiry stems. Its narrow leaves are extremely thin, measuring just 0.5 to 2 millimeters wide, with inrolled margins and ligules 3 to 8 millimeters long. The distinctive seed awns are 32 to 56 millimeters long, bent twice, and covered with dense hairs on the lower portion.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 24 sympatric species; long ligules and thick leathery lemma tip distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Canyons, foothills, sagebrush scrub, juniper woodland
Elevation: 800-3100 m
California counties: Lassen, Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Alpine, Amador, Modoc, Siskiyou, Shasta, Sierra, Mariposa
Outside California: to Washington, Montana, Utah
Bloom period
Stipa thurberiana blooms May-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 thurberiana native to California?
Yes. Stipa thurberiana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Stipa thurberiana bloom?
Stipa thurberiana blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Stipa thurberiana grow?
Stipa thurberiana occurs in Lassen, Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Alpine, Amador, Modoc and other counties, at elevations of 800-3100 m.
What plant family does Stipa thurberiana belong to?
Stipa thurberiana is in the Poaceae family, genus Stipa.
What habitat does Stipa thurberiana grow in?
Stipa thurberiana grows in Canyons, foothills, sagebrush scrub, juniper woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Stipa webberi — Webber's needle grass
- Stipa arida — Mormon needle grass
- Stipa brachychaeta — Puna needle grass
- Stipa capensis — Cape rice grass
- Stipa cernua — Nodding needle grass
- Stipa chaetophora — Stipoid rice grass
- Swallenia alexandrae — Eureka valley dune grass
- Swallenia sp.
- Thinopyrum junceiforme — Russian wheatgrass
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.