Nassella pulchra  (A. Hitchc.) Barkworth   =Stipa pulchra   Poaceae (Grass Family)   Native   Purple Needle-Grass Nodding Stipa

                           February Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Tufted perennial with inrolled leaf blades; culms 6-10 dm. tall; blades flat or involute, 2.5-6 mm. broad, deep green; panicle nodding, loose, about 1.5-2 dm. long, with slender spreading branches; spikelets disarticulate above the glumes, the articulation oblique, leaving a bearded sharp pointed callus attached to the base of the floret; glumes often papery, acute, usually long and narrow; lemma narrow, rounded, strongly convolute, 7.5-13 mm. terminating in a bent and twisted awn, 6-9 cm. long, fusiform, pubescent throughout or at the base and on nerves to middle or top; lower glume 15-26 mm. long, the 2d slightly shorter, 3-5 nerved.

Habitat:  Dry slopes below 5000 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.  Munz, Flora So. Calif. 1002).  Latin, pulchra, beautiful.  (Jaeger 213).  Latin, nassa, a basket with a narrow neck.  (Hickman, Ed. 1276).  Refers to the neck-like tip of the lemmas.  (my comment).

General:  Occasional in the study area, there are clumps here and there along the bluffs throughout most of the study area.  Photographed on the west side of the Delhi Ditch.  In March 2005, several plants were found on the north-facing slope of Newporter Canyon.  These specimens did not have the usual clump growth but were nearly separate plants.  I do not know of any planting or seeding in the canyon and there has been no grazing for many years, so I wonder why these plants were not growing in clumps? (my comments).      Most of the Calif. species of Stipa are of considerable forage value.  Some of the species, when mature, have grains with hard sharp points, which penetrate the membranes and skin of animals. (Robbins et al. 113).           Despite the current emphasis amongst conservationists on "re-establishment" of bunchgrasses, there is no good evidence that perennial grasses ever dominated our grasslands except in the North Coast Ranges where climate is less seasonal.  In central California, a recent study by Bartolone at the University of California at Berkeley suggests that bunchgrasses formerly were present on some sites that presently do not contain them, but does not indicate that they were dominant.  Webster, in a study published in 1981 in Madrono, argued that the vegetation of the west side of the southern San Joaquin Valley was dominated by annual plants when the Spanish first explored the region.  The myth of the bunchgrass prairie was fostered by Clements, who extrapolated his succession to climax model from the Great Plains, where perennial grasses dominate, to California. He found supposedly relic stands of Stipa pulchra along railroad rights-of-way and argued that they represent the climax or natural condition.  However, annuals seem at least as abundant as Stipa in the photos accompanying Clements' papers.  Because of Clements' stature and influence, range management in this state became concerned with conversion of our annual dominated pasture to perennials.  For the most part, these attempts failed.  Many ecologists believe that bunchgrasses are inherently less tolerant of grazing than sod-forming (rhizomatous or lawn-type) grasses, and that the predominance of the latter in the Great Plains is due to the presence of the bison.  As a corollary, it is argued that the great success of Mediterranean species in our western grasslands and steppes is due to the supposedly light grazing pressure that existed naturally.  However, this argument ignores the crucial role of climate, in that sod-forming grasses are maladapted to winter wet and summer dry regime.  California has numerous native rhizomatous grasses, but all are restricted to mesic habitats.  In terms of management, the crucial point is that no one strategy will favor all natives.  Alien species are sufficiently diverse in their adaptations that nothing will eliminate them completely.  Especially when bureaucratic government organizations get involved in management, there is an unfortunate tendency to oversimplification.  This may lead to a long-term reduction in native biodiversity.  I am particularly concerned that far too much emphasis is being placed on bunchgrasses (especially Stipa pulchra). (Blumler, Mark A. "Some Myths About California Grasslands and Grazers".  FREMONTIA, A Journal of the California Native Plant Society  July 1992  22-27).       Studies have been conducted at the University of California by John W. Menke on grazing and fire management as a method of increasing the abundance of native perennial grasses.  It was found that time-controlled, short duration, high intensity sheep or cattle grazing for several days in early spring removes substantial amounts of alien annual plant seed while opening up the sward canopy to allow light to penetrate to young, short-statured seedling perennials.  This grazing must be timed to allow perennial grass regrowth, flowering and seed set before spring moisture is exhausted.  Summer or dormant season, high intensity livestock grazing is a second alternative treatment to increase the abundance of native grasses.  High intensity grazing in either spring or summer removes dead stem bases, litter or "thatch" build-up uniformly.  So long as the high-intensity grazing is infrequent, perennial grass plant carbohydrate metabolism is not severely disrupted and plants are maintained in the community.  J. Bartolome and his students at UC-Berkeley have studied spring burning effects and have found that prescribed burning in late spring reduces alien annual plant seed production, and the resulting size of the seedbank, and increases perennial grass seedling establishment due to litter removal and lowered competition.  Burning in late spring when seeds are still contained in the inflorescence reduces annual plant density and competition with perennial grasses the following year.  Substantial density reductions in annual grasses with flammable caryopses (seeds) is a primary objective of summer burning.  Results to date indicate that summer burning stimulates perennial bunchgrasses to fragment into two or more, vigorous daughter plants.  The time required for the composition of alien annual species to return to a pre-fire status is about three years, burning every third or fourth year is recommended.  (Menke, John W.  "Grazing and Fire Management for Native Perennial Grass Restoration in California Grasslands."  FREMONTIA, A Journal of the California Native Plant Society  April 1992 22-25).        Stipa species have been known to cause hay fever and asthma.  (Fuller 383).      The species are for the most part valuable forage plants.  Several, all western, such as S. pulchra, S. thurberia, and S. speciosa in California.  (Hitchcock 445).      About 150 species of temperate regions.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 1002).

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. I 131; Hickman, Ed. 1276; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 1005; Roberts 48.

Photo Ref:  Feb 3 84 # 10,11; Feb 05 # 22.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.  

First Found:  February 1984.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 59.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 3/2/05.  

                            February Photo                                                           March Photo