Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora
Weak manna grass, Weak Manna Grass
(c) Gabriel Campbell-Martinez, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Gabriel Campbell-Martinez · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora (Weak manna grass) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by weakly reflexed to spreading inflorescence branches and larger stature.
Weak manna grass is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central Coast Ranges, and North Coast Ranges in wet areas near streams and lake margins at elevations below 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to September, this grass produces delicate pale inflorescences 15 to 50 centimeters long with weakly spreading branches. Growing with stems 20 to 150 centimeters tall, it forms loose, open clusters in moist habitats. Its slender leaves are arranged along the stem, with lower branches that can spread or remain nearly erect. In its most distinctive feature, the grass produces small spikelets with 3 to 8 florets, the lowest lemma measuring 2.2 to 3.3 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by weakly reflexed to spreading inflorescence branches and larger stature
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet areas in forest, stream or lake margins
Elevation: < 3500 m
California counties: Butte, Plumas, Fresno, Tuolumne, Alpine, Tulare, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Nevada, Inyo, Mariposa, Modoc, Mono, Santa Cruz, Napa, El Dorado, Sonoma, Marin, Placer, Glenn, Sierra, Amador, Tehama, Calaveras, Mendocino, Del Norte, Lassen, Lake, Kern, San Mateo, Madera, Colusa, Shasta, Trinity
Outside California: to Alaska, Rocky Mountains
Bloom period
Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Puccinellia: Torreyochloa has prominent 7-9 veined lemmas in freshwater; Puccinellia has faint 5-veined lemmas in saline/alkaline soil.; vs Glyceria: Torreyochloa has 7-9 veined lemmas and 3-veined upper glumes; Glyceria has only 1-veined upper glumes.; vs Desmazeria: Torreyochloa has rhizomes and prominent parallel veins; Desmazeria is annual without rhizomes and has different vein patterns.; vs Melica: Torreyochloa has 7-9 parallel veins on lemmas; Melica has club-shaped sterile florets at spikelet tips.; vs Festuca: Torreyochloa has rhizomes and prominently 7-9 veined lemmas; Festuca is tufted with 5-veined lemmas.
Frequently asked questions
Is Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora native to California?
Yes. Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora bloom?
Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora grow?
Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora occurs in Butte, Plumas, Fresno, Tuolumne, Alpine, Tulare, Siskiyou, Humboldt and other counties, at elevations of < 3500 m.
What plant family does Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora belong to?
Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora is in the Poaceae family, genus Torreyochloa.
What habitat does Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora grow in?
Torreyochloa pallida var. pauciflora grows in Wet areas in forest, stream or lake margins.
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.