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Taxon  Report  
Swallenia alexandrae  (Swallen) Soderstr. & H. F. Decker
Eureka dunegrass,   Eureka valley dune grass
Swallenia alexandrae is a perennial grasslike herb (rhizomatous) that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).
State of California status: Rare. Federal status: Threatened.
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
Observation Search
~158 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Swallenia
Family: Poaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Habitat: dunes

Communities: Creosote Bush Scrub

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS + POWO
Alternate Names:
JEF + PLANTSEctosperma alexandrae
Information about  Swallenia alexandrae from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (SWAL)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Endangered Species: This is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.[9] The main threat to the species survival has been off-roading, which is no longer permitted in its habitat. Trespassing off-roaders and campers are still a threat to the five remaining occurrences. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)

[Wikipedia] Taxonomy: This genus was named for American botanist Jason Richard Swallen (1903-1991). The species was named for American philanthropist and paleontological collector Annie Montague Alexander. (link added 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]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 05/12/2025).