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Nassella tenuissima  (Trin.) Barkworth
Finestem needlegrass,   Mexican feathergrass
© 2020 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2024 Sadie Hickey
© 2020 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2020 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2020 Ron Vanderhoff
© 2017 James Bailey
© 2015 Keir Morse
© 2024 Chloe Rabinowitz
© 2018 michelle peruzzi
© 2025 Laguna Canyon Foundation
© 2025 Laguna Canyon Foundation
© 2024 Charles Gibbons
© 2024 Charles Gibbons
© 2022 Joan Miller
© 2024 Sadie Hickey
Nassella tenuissima is a perennial grasslike herb that is not native to California.
also called Stipa tenuissima
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
Genus: Nassella
Family: Poaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Communities: escaped cultivar
Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:
PLANTSStipa tenuissima
Information about  Nassella tenuissima from other sources
USDA PLANTS Profile (NATE3)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

[Cal-IPC] Mexico, Texas, Argentina, Chile native, Invasive: Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feathergrass) is a perennial grass (family Poaceae) that can grow to be 2 feet tall and is found in the central and south coast ranges of California. It is native to Mexico, Texas, Argentina and Chile. It favors grasslands and woodlands. It spreads only by seeds which are dispersed by livestock, humans, wind and water. Seeds adhere to clothing and fur. Cal-IPC Rating: Watch (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: 03/29/2025).