needle grasses

genus Nassella

Member of grasses (family Poaceae)
grasses, sedges, cattails, and allies (order Poales)
monocots (class Liliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

Except for old historical records and extremely rare examples that I don't expect to encounter, there are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

All have 1 floret per spikelet.

Key features:

palea grooved or flat
lemma features
awn length
stem diameter

palea grooved lengthwise

bristly needle grass
Piptochaetium fuscum

blade 0.8–1.5 mm wide
awn 10–16 mm long

stipoid ricegrass
Piptochaetium stipoides

blade 0.2–0.4 mm wide
awn 15–25 mm long

palea flat

lemma generally bumpy throughout, tip with crown

andean tussockgrass
Nassella manicata

lemma crown generally sharply constricted proximally, distinct from rest of lemma

foothill needle grass
Nassella lepida

lemma crown gradually expanded proximally, no more than ± distinct from lemma
lemma crown hairs 0.3–0.6 mm
awn 12–55 mm, ± 0.1 mm diameter
stem 0.8–1.2 mm diameter

nodding needle grass
Nassella cernua

lemma crown gradually expanded proximally, no more than ± distinct from lemma
lemma crown hairs 0.8–1.1 mm
awn 38–110 mm, 0.2–0.4 mm diameter
stem 1.0–3.1 mm diameter
lemma body in age glabrous in distal ¾ except on veins

purple needlegrass
Nassella pulchra

lemma crown gradually expanded proximally, no more than ± distinct from lemma
lemma crown hairs 0.8–1.1 mm
awn 38–110 mm, 0.2–0.4 mm diameter
stem 1.0–3.1 mm diameter
lemma body in age hairy throughout

smilo grass
Oloptum miliaceum

lemma body smooth throughout

mexican feathergrass
Nassella tenuissima

1 observed taxon / 7 unobserved taxons / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 2 (all are research grade)

Locations:

Máyyan 'Ooyákma Coyote Ridge OSP
Santa Teresa CP

Months:

Apr.: 1
May: 1

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Not all sites agree about the scientific name:

genus Nassella → iNaturalist – FNA
genus Stipa → Calflora – Jepson eFlora

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora