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Taxon  Report  
Stipa occidentalis  Thurb. ex S. Watson  var. californica  (Merr. & Burtt Davy) C.L. Hitchc.
California needle grass
Stipa occidentalis var. californica is a perennial grasslike herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
bloom graphic
Bloom Period
Parent: Stipa occidentalis
Genus: Stipa
Family: Poaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Communities: Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF
Alternate Names:
JEFAchnatherum occidentale ssp. californicum
PLANTSAchnatherum occidentale ssp. californicum
Information about  Stipa occidentalis var. californica from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (ACOCC)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals, including the Consortium of California Herbaria. [web application]. 2023. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 02/01/2023).