Nassella lepida (Hitchc.) Barkworth   =Stipa lepida   Poaceae (Grass Family)   Native   Foothill Needle-Grass      Small-Flowered Stipa

                               March Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Slender perennial, puberulent below the nodes, 6-10 dm. tall; sheaths smooth, rarely puberulent, +/- villous at throat; ligule very short; blades 1-3 dm. long, flat, 2-4 mm. wide, pubescent on basal part of upper surface; panicle rather loose, open, 1.5-2 dm. long, with slender distal branches; glumes 3-nerved, smooth, acuminate, the 1st 6-10 mm. long, the 2d ca. 4-8 mm. long; lemma ca. 6 mm. long, sparingly villous; awn indistinctly twice bent, 2.5-4 cm. long, scabrous.

Habitat:  Dry slopes below 4000 ft.; Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, etc.; L. Calif. to n. Calif.; Channel ids.  March-May.

 Name:  Greek, stupe, tow, alluding to the feathery awns of the type species, Stipa pennata.  (Hitchcock 445).   Lepis, Greek meaning a flake or scale.  Lepida means scaly or like a scale.  The reason not evident from the description of the plant.  (John Johnson).  Latin, nassa, a basket with a narrow neck.  (Hickman, Ed. 1276).  Refers to the neck-like tip of the lemmas.  (my comment).

General:  Rare in the study area, having been found only twice, first on a small bank, above the 23rd. St. bench and again near the foot of the bluff along the lower path from 23rd. St. to the next major draw going toward the Delhi area.  There are several clumps of the grass in the first location.  (my comments).       Stipa species have been known to cause hay fever and asthma.  (Fuller 383).       About 150 spp. of temp. regions.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 1002).

Text Ref:  Abrams Vol. I 132; Hickman, Ed. 1276; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 1004; Roberts 48.

Photo Ref:  Feb-Mar 89 # 8,9; Mar-April 95 #31.

Identity: by John Johnson.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 385.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 4/18/03.

                                          March Photo