Nassella lepida | |
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Conservation status | |
Secure (NatureServe) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Poaceae |
Subfamily: | Pooideae |
Genus: | Nassella |
Species: | N. lepida |
Binomial name | |
Nassella lepida (Hitchc.) Barkworth | |
Synonyms | |
Stipa lepida |
Nassella lepida (syn. Stipa lepida) is a species of grass known by the common names foothill needlegrass, foothills nassella, foothill stipa, small-flowered stipa, small-flowered needlegrass, and smallflower tussockgrass.
Distribution
It is native to California in the United States, where it occurs as far north as Humboldt County, and its range extends into Baja California.
Description
This is a perennial bunchgrass growing up to a meter tall. The flat or rolled leaf blades are up to 23 centimeters long. The panicle is up to 55 centimeters long and has branches bearing up to 6 spikelets each The spikelet has an awn up to 4.6 to 5.5 centimeters long.
This grass grows in chaparral and grassland habitat. It can also be found in coastal sage scrub and coastal prairie.
This species and several others were recently transferred from genus Stipa into Nassella, mainly on the basis of their "strongly convolute lemmas". Genetic evidence supports the transfer.
This species may hybridize with Nassella pulchra.
References
- Nassella lepida. USDA PLANTS Profile.
- ^ Nassella lepida. The Jepson Manual.
- ^ Barkworth, M. Nassella lepida. In: Barkworth et al. (eds.), Grass Manual. Flora of North America.
- ^ Calflora. 2013. Nassella lepida. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database.
External links
- Calflora Database: Stipa lepida (foothill needle grass)
- Jepson eFlora (TJM2): Stipa lepida
- USDA Plants Profile for Nassella lepida (foothill needlegrass)
- Stipa lepida — UC Photos gallery
Taxon identifiers | |
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Nassella lepida |
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Stipa lepida |
- NatureServe secure species
- Nassella
- Bunchgrasses of North America
- Native grasses of California
- Grasses of Mexico
- Flora of Baja California
- Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
- Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
- Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
- Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges
- Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area
- Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains
- Natural history of the Transverse Ranges