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Taxon  Report  
Agrostis avenacea  J. F. Gmel.
Pacific bentgrass
Agrostis avenacea is a perennial grasslike herb that is not native to California.
Cal-IPC rating: limited
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Observation Search
~348 records in California
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
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Bloom Period
Genus: Agrostis
Family: Poaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands

Communities: wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JEFAgrostis filiformis
PLANTSAgrostis retrofracta
JEF + PLANTSLachnagrostis filiformis
Information about  Agrostis avenacea from other sources

[Cal-IPC] Invasive: Agrostis avenacea (Pacific bentgrass) is a perennial grass (family Pocaceae) commonly found throughout northern California and San Diego County. This weed easily outcompetes native vegetation. Pacific bentgrass inhabits open, disturbed, often moist places to 300 m elevation. It is especially invasive in vernal pool habitat in the San Diego area. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)

[Wikipedia] Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific Islands native, invasi: Lachnagrostis filiformis (syn. Agrostis avenacea) is a species of grass known by the common names Pacific bent grass, New Zealand wind grass, fairy grass, or blown-grass. It is native to Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific Islands including New Guinea and Easter Island. While it is found in a wide variety of habitats, it seems particularly invasive in areas with damp soils, such as areas near bodies of water. It has been introduced to southern Africa, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, the southern United States and Mexico. Pacific bent grass is a tufted perennial grass growing up to 65 centimeters tall. The leaf blades are flat and about 8 to 25 centimeters long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide. The stems, which are round or polygonal, are hollow.The inflorescence, which appears in June and July, may be from 7 to 30 centimeters long. It consists of a panicle of wispy strands, each with several tiny, fuzzy spikelets at the end. The spikelets are two or three millimeters long. In Australia it is a fire hazard, and interferes with trains. Lachnagrostis filiformis is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. It is particularly invasive in California, where it is a weed of sensitive vernal pool ecosystems around San Diego. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 03/28/2024).