About Nassella lepida (Hitchc.) Barkworth
This species, Nassella lepida, is a perennial bunchgrass that reaches up to one meter in height. Its leaf blades, which can be flat or rolled, grow up to 23 centimeters (9.1 inches) long. The plant's panicle reaches up to 55 centimeters (22 inches) long, with panicle branches each holding up to 6 spikelets. Each spikelet bears an awn between 4.6 cm (1.8 in) and 5.5 cm (2.2 in) long. This grass grows in chaparral, grassland, coastal sage scrub, and coastal prairie habitats. This species, along with several others, was recently moved from the genus Stipa to Nassella, primarily based on the plants' strongly convolute lemmas. Genetic evidence supports this taxonomic transfer. Nassella lepida may hybridize with Nassella pulchra. It is native to California in the United States, where it occurs as far north as Humboldt County, and its range extends south into Baja California.
