Trisetum wolfii
Wolf's false oat, Wolf's False Oat
(c) Patrick Hacker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Trisetum wolfii (Wolf's false oat) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by very short awns (<2mm) or awnless condition.
Wolf's false oat is a California native perennial found in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains and high montane regions of California in open, dry meadows and conifer forests at elevations of 1,740 to 3,300 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces pale greenish-yellow to pale golden flowers in compact, narrow panicles 3 to 9 centimeters long. Growing in dense clumps with stems 30 to 80 centimeters tall, it spreads through short underground rhizomes and forms tufted clusters. Its leaves have narrow blades 2 to 7 millimeters wide with short ligules 1 to 5 millimeters long, typically arising from the base of the plant in dense, upright formations. The plant's spikelets feature lanceolate glumes that are acute and delicate, with lower glumes 4 to 6 millimeters long and upper glumes 5 to 7 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; distinguished by very short awns (<2mm) or awnless condition
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, generally dry sites, meadows, conifer forest
Elevation: 1740-3300 m
California counties: Fresno, Siskiyou, Modoc, Nevada, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Inyo, Madera, Placer, Shasta, Mono, Butte, Mariposa, Tulare, Alpine, Lassen
Outside California: to southwestern Canada, western United States
Bloom period
Trisetum wolfii blooms Jun-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Schismus: Trisetum has hairy spikelet axes extending beyond flowers; Schismus has no extension or hairs.; vs Koeleria: Trisetum has dull spikelets with wide-spaced flowers; Koeleria has shiny, compact spikelets.; vs Aira: Trisetum is perennial with hairy axis extensions; Aira is annual with no axis extension.; vs Vahlodea: Trisetum's axis extension is clearly hairy (1-2mm); Vahlodea's is nearly hairless and tiny.; vs Deschampsia: Trisetum has obviously hairy spikelet axes; Deschampsia's axes are smooth or barely hairy.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trisetum wolfii native to California?
Yes. Trisetum wolfii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Trisetum wolfii bloom?
Trisetum wolfii blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Trisetum wolfii grow?
Trisetum wolfii occurs in Fresno, Siskiyou, Modoc, Nevada, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Inyo, Madera and other counties, at elevations of 1740-3300 m.
What plant family does Trisetum wolfii belong to?
Trisetum wolfii is in the Poaceae family, genus Trisetum.
What habitat does Trisetum wolfii grow in?
Trisetum wolfii grows in Open, generally dry sites, meadows, conifer forest.
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.