California Oatgrass

Danthonia californica is distributed disjunctively in both American continents. In North America it is found in Mexico and along the west coasts states north to British Columbia, thence eastward to Saskatchewan, Colorado and New Mexico. In South America the species is found in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Uruguay. The plant requires moist soils, and thus is found in coastal prairies, outer coastal mountain ranges and other habitats supporting such soil moisture.

With a common name of California oatgrass, this densely tufted species can reach a height of 80 centimeters. It is a palatable grass supporting wild ungulates as well as livestock diets.

On coastal prairies common native grass associates are Nasella pulchra and Elymus glaucus.

Danthonia californica Bolander, Proc. Calif. Acad 2: 182. 1862.
Merathrepta califomica Piper, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 11: 122. 1906. (Based on Danthonia califomica Bolander.)
Pentameris califomica Nelson & Macbr. Bot. Gaz. 56: 469. 1913. (Based on Danthonia califomica Bolander.)
Culms densely tufted, 30-80 cm. tall, commonly disarticulating at the nodes; sheaths glabrous, pilose at the throat; blades flat or, especially those of the innovations, involute; glabrous, mostly 10-20 cm. long; panicles bearing mostly 2-5 spikelets, the pedicels slender, spreading or somewhat reflexed, more or less flexuous, 1-2 cm. long, with a rather prominent pulvinus at the base of each ; glumes 1 5-20 mm. long (rarely less or more) ; lemmas pilose on the lower part of the margin and on the short stipe-like callus, glabrous on the back, 12-15 mm. long, including the abruptly long-awned teeth; terminal segment of dorsal awn 5-10 mm. long; palea subacute, extending beyond the base of the cleft of the lemma.
Type locality: California {Bolander).
Distribution: Meadows and open woods, Montana to British Columbia, and southward to Colorado and California.

Perennials, Terrestrial, not aquatic, Rhizomes present, Rhizome short and compact, stems close, Stems nodes swollen or brittle, Stems erect or ascending, Stems caespitose, tufted, or clustered, Stems terete, round in cross section, or polygonal, Stem internodes hollow, Stems with inflorescence le ss than 1 m tall, Stems, culms, or scapes exceeding basal leaves, Leaves mostly basal, below middle of stem, Leaves conspicuously 2-ranked, distichous, Leaves sheathing at base, Leaf sheath mostly open, or loose, Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous, Leaf sheath hairy, hispid or prickly, Leaf sheath hairy at summit, throat, or collar, Leaf sheath and blade differentiated, Leaf blades linear, Leaf blades very narrow or filiform, less than 2 mm wide, Leaf blades 2-10 mm wide, Leaf blades mostly flat, Leaf blade margins folded, involute, or conduplicate, Leaf blades mostly glabrous, Leaf blades more or less hairy, Leaf blades scabrous, roughened, or wrinkled, Ligule present, Ligule a fringe of hairs, Inflorescence terminal, Inflorescence a contracted panicle, narrowly paniculate, branches appressed or ascending, Inflorescence solitary, with 1 spike, fascicle, glomerule, head, or cluster per stem or culm, Inflorescence a panicle with narrowly racemose or spicate branches, Flowers bisex ual, Spikelets pedicellate, Spikelets laterally compressed, Spikelet 3-10 mm wide, Spikelets with 3-7 florets, Spikelets with 8-40 florets, Spikelets solitary at rachis nodes, Spikelets all alike and fertille, Spikelets bisexual, Inflorescence disarticulating between nodes or joints of rachis, rachis fragmenting, Spikelets disarticulating above the glumes, glumes persistent, Spikelets disarticulating beneath or between the florets, Rachilla or pedicel glabrous, Glumes present, empty bracts, Glumes 2 clearly present, Glumes equal or subequal, Glumes equal to or longer than adjacent lemma, Glumes 4-7 nerved, Lemma coriaceous, firmer or thicker in texture than the glumes, Lemma 5-7 nerved, Lemma 8-15 nerved, Lemma apex dentate, 2-fid, Lemma distinctly awned, more than 2-3 mm, Lemma with 3 awns, Lemma awn less than 1 cm long, Lemma awn 1-2 cm long, Lemma awned from tip, Lemma awn from sinus of bifid apex, Lemma awn once geniculate, bent once, Lemma margins thin, lying flat, Lemm a straight, Palea present, well developed, Palea about equal to lemma, Palea 2 nerved or 2 keeled, Palea keels winged, scabrous, or ciliate, Stamens 3, Styles 2-fid, deeply 2-branched, Stigmas 2, Fruit - caryopsis, Caryopsis ellipsoid, longitudinally grooved, hilum long-linear.

Danthonia californica is a species of grass known by the common name California oatgrass. This plant is native to two separate regions of the Americas, western North America from California to Saskatchewan, and Chile.