PLANT PAGE
<< Plant List
>> Photo Essay
Learn More
Calflora Taxon Rpt
Local iNat Map
Friends of Edgewood Guide
Jepson eFlora
Calphotos
Wikipedia
Stipa
Grass Family
Other
Switch Plants
Also Found At
Edgewood Preserve
12 Easy Grasses
Grassroots Ecology Nursery
Nicasio Ridge Native Plants
Plant Stories
Rancho San Antonio OSP
Ring Mountain Plant List for Docent Training
Ring Mountain Serpentine Grassland Plants
Rock Spring Common Plants
San Mateo Coast
Taxa with ID Tips
Almaden Quicksilver CP (NRDB.org)
Alto Bowl/Horse Hill
Alum Rock RP (NRDB.org)
Andrew Molera SP (NRDB.org)
Angel Island
Ano Nuevo SNR (NRDB.org)
Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Anthony Chabot Regional Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Ardenwood Regional Preserve
Armstrong Redwoods SNR (NRDB.org)
Azalea Hill and Southern Carson Ridge
Azalea Hill Common Plants
Bayview Hill
Bean Hollow SB (NRDB.org)
Bear Creek Redwoods OSP (NRDB.org)
Benicia SRA (NRDB.org)
Bernal Hill
Bidwell Park in Chico
Big Break Regional Shoreline
Big Rock to Loma Alta Hill Summit
Billy Goat Hill
Bishop Ranch Regional Open Space
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
Blithedale Summit
Briones Regional Park
Brooks Island Regional Shoreline
Brooks Park
Brushy Peak Regional Preserve
Butano SP (NRDB.org)
Calero CP (NRDB.org)
Camino Alto
Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline
Carrizo Plain
Carson Falls Trail
Cascade Canyon
Castle Crags State Park
Chimney Rock
China Camp State Park (CNPS)
Chino Hills State Park
Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve
Coal Creek OSP (NRDB.org)
Cold Canyon
Coleman Valley
Contra Loma Regional Park
Corona Heights
Coyote Hills Regional Park
Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch CP (NRDB.org)
Coyote Valley OSP (NRDB.org)
Crissy Bluffs
Crystal Springs Regional Trail
Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Deer Island
Deer Park
Del Valle Regional Park
Devil's Gulch
Devil's Slide Trail (NRDB.org)
Diablo Foothills Regional Park
Don Castro Regional Recreation Area
Don Edwards NWR (NRDB.org)
Dorothy Erskine Park
Doyle Drive
Duncan Castro
Easter Bowl (NRDB.org)
Ed R. Levin County Park
Edgehill Mountain
El Sereno
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarnine Research Reserve
Fairfield-Osborn Preserve (NRDB.org)
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area
Foothills Open Space Preserve
Fort Funston
Fort Ord BLM (NRDB.org)
Fort Point
Fort Point Bluffs
Fort Ross SHP (NRDB.org)
Fremont Older
Fremont Peak SP (NRDB.org)
French Ranch Open Space Preserve
Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park
Garland Ranch
Garrapata SP (NRDB.org)
Garrett Park (NRDB.org)
Gary Giacomini Preserve
Gaviota State Park
Glen Canyon
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (NPS)
Hayward Regional Shoreline
Henry Coe State Park
Hidden Villa
Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area
Hood Mountain RP & OSP (NRDB.org)
Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve
Humboldt Redwoods State Park
Hungry Valley State Vehicle Recreation Area
Hunter's Point Ridge
Indian Tree
Indian Valley
Inspiration Point
Jack London SHP (NRDB.org)
Jasper Ridge
Jenner Headlands
Jepson Prairie Reserve
Joseph D. Grant CP (NRDB.org)
Junipero Serra CP (NRDB.org)
Kehoe Trail and Beach
Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area
King Mountain
Kite Hill
Knoxville Wildlife Area (NRDB.org)
La Honda Creek OSP (NRDB.org)
Laguna Honda Reservoir
Lake Lagunitas
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area
Lake Perris State Recreational Area
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness
Leo Carrillo SP
Leona Canyon Regional Open Space Preserve
Limantour Estero
Limekiln SP (NRDB.org)
Little Mountain
Lobos Creek Valley
Loma Alta
Long Ridge Open Space Preserve
Los Trancos Open Space Preserve
Lucas Valley
Malibu Creek State Park
Manzanita CP (NRDB.org)
Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park
Marin County Complete List (CNPS)
Marin Headlands Coastal Trail
Marin Municipal Water District
Martinez Regional Shoreline
McLaren Park
McLaughlin Reserve (NRDB.org)
Milagra Ridge (NRDB.org)
Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline
Millerton Point
Miramontes Ridge
Mission Peak Regional Preserve
Modini Mayacamas Preserve
Montana de Oro State Park
Montara State Beach and McNee Ranch (NRDB.org)
Monte Bello OSP (NRDB.org)
Morgan Territory Regional Preserve
Mori Point (NRDB.org)
Morro Bay
Mount Burdell
Mount Burdell Native Spring Wildflowers
Mount Davidson
Mount Diablo SP (NRDB.org)
Mount Madonna CP (NRDB.org)
Mount Tamalpais SP (NRDB.org)
Muir Woods
New Brighton
Nicasio Ridge
O'Shaugnessy Hollow
Oat Hill Mine
Ohlone Regional Wilderness
Old Saint Hilary's
Old Stage Road
Olompali State Historic Park
Palou Phelps Park
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve
Pedro Point Headlands (NRDB.org)
Peninsula Watershed (NRDB.org)
Pescadero Creek Park (NRDB.org)
Pescadero SB (NRDB.org)
Pfeiffer Big Sur SP (NRDB.org)
Pigeon Point Light Station SHP (NRDB.org)
Pillar Point Bluff (NRDB.org)
Pinnacles National Park
Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park
Point Isabel Regional Shoreline
Point Lobos SNR (NRDB.org)
Point Mugu State Park
Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
Point Reyes
Pomponio SB (NRDB.org)
Portola Valley Ranch Approved Plants
Presidio (NRDB.org)
Presidio Golf Course Natural Area
Pulgas Ridge
Purisima Creek OSP (NRDB.org)
Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area
Rancho Canada del Oro OSP (NRDB.org)
Rancho Corral de Tierra (NRDB.org)
Redwood Regional Park
Reinhardt Redwood Serpentine Prairie
Ring Mountain
Rock Spring
Rodeo Lagoon
Round Valley Regional Preserve
Roy's Redwoods
Rush Creek
Russian Ridge
Salt Point SP (NRDB.org)
Samuel P. Taylor State Park
San Bruno Mountain
San Francisco Coastal Bluffs
San Jacinto Mtns - Morris Ranch Road
San Pedro Mountain
San Pedro Valley CP (NRDB.org)
San Simeon State Park
Santa Teresa CP (NRDB.org)
Saratoga Gap
Sausal Creek Native Plants
Shadow Cliffs Regional Recreation Area
Sharp Park
Shiloh Regional Park
Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
Sierra Azul OSP (NRDB.org)
Sierra Vista OSP
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
Skyline Ridge OSP (NRDB.org)
Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve
Southridge Preserve
St. Joseph's Hill OSP (NRDB.org)
Stafford Lake
Steep Ravine Trail East
Steep Ravine Trail West
Stevens Creek CP (NRDB.org)
Stone Ridge
Stulsaft Park (NRDB.org)
Sugarloaf Ridge SP (NRDB.org)
Sunol Regional Wilderness
Sutter Buttes State Park
Sweeney Ridge (NRDB.org)
Sycamore Valley Open Space Preserve
Table Mountain
Tank Hill
Temescal Regional Recreation Area
Tennesse Hollow
Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow
The Forest of Nisene Marks SP (NRDB.org)
Tilden Regional Park
Tomales Bay State Park
Toro CP (NRDB.org)
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Twin Peaks
Ulistac Natural Area (NRDB.org)
Upper Stevens Creek
Van Hoosear Wildflower Preserve
Vargas Plateau Regional Park
Vasco Caves Regional Preserve
Verissimo Hills
Water Dog Lake - Hidden Canyon
Waterbird Regional Preserve
White's Hill
Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
Wilder Ranch State Park
Windy Hill OSP (NRDB.org)
Wolf Ridge
World War II Memorial
Yerba Buena Island
User Comments (3)
Email corrections
Contributors and Copyright
Purple Needle Grass (Stipa pulchra)
Login
Grass
Typical Height
Perennial
Native
Description
Height 2 - 3 ft.
Perennial
Bunch Grass
14"-3 ft.
Inflorescence branched
7-24"
1
floret
per
spikelet
Floret
awns
to 3.9"
Glume
awns
to 0.2"
EW Bloom Mar - Jun
Stipa
pulchra
comes from Greek and Latin words meaning "beautiful fiber".
It will catch your eye, with its waving, purplish
spikelets
and long
awns
.
Purple Needle Grass is widespread and is the California State Grass.
CA native.
Common at Edgewood
Grass Family (Poaceae)
Purple Needlegrass has an open
inflorescence
and long
awns
. It has only one
floret
per
spikelet
.
Spikelets
are purplish.
Awns
are needle-like and about as long as your pinkie (1.5 to 4"). Awns bend twice when they're mature.
The weight of the
spikelets
and the length of their awns causes the grass to bend at the top and wave in the wind.
Photo Gallery (43 ) click any picture to enlarge
Purple Needle Grass grows 2 to 3 feet tall. It can live over 100 years and so forms stable communities. It survives normal brush fires (but not ...
Purple Needle Grass was the dominant grass in California before European settlement. Its deep root system (typically 2 to 6 feet deep) helps it tol ...
Leaves wrap the stem in a [[sheaf]]. Leaves are about 1/4" across and grow 4 to 8 inches long.
The stem is unbranched, with leaves along the bottom part. Above the leaves is a branched [[inflorescence]] of many small drooping [[spikelets]]. ...
[[Spikelets]] have a purplish hue. Inside is a [[floret]] that opens up for fertilization when it's mature. It releases [[pollen]] and waits to ...