Print Report
G496 Nassella pulchra - Melica californica - Leymus condensatus Grassland Group
Type Concept Sentence: This perennial grassland group is characterized by native, cool-season bunchgrasses, especially Leymus condensatus, Melica californica, Nassella cernua, Nassella lepida, and Nassella pulchra with several other grasses and native forbs. Historically, it was common among oak savanna and woodland in Mediterranean California, but is now limited to small relictual, remnant and restored stands.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Purple Needlegrass - California Melicgrass - Giant Wildrye Grassland Group
Colloquial Name: Californian Perennial Grassland
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This perennial grassland group is found in Mediterranean California. Characteristic plant species include a dominance by native, cool-season bunchgrasses, especially Leymus condensatus, Melica torreyana, Nassella cernua, Nassella lepida, and Nassella pulchra. Other grasses may include Aristida spp., Bromus carinatus, Elymus glaucus, Festuca californica, Festuca idahoensis, Melica californica, and Poa secunda. Native forbs include species of Achillea, Achyrachaena, Agoseris, Bloomeria, Brodiaea, Castilleja, Chlorogalum, Clarkia, Dodecatheon, Lomatium, Lotus, Sanicula, Trifolium, and Triteleia. Stands range from 10-1200 m (30-3600 feet) elevation, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers, receiving on average 50 cm (range 25-100 cm) of precipitation per year, mainly as winter rain. It is found with fine-textured soils, moist or even waterlogged in winter, but very dry in summer. Historically, these grasslands were common among oak savanna and woodland and probably experienced similar frequent fire regimes. Today they are limited to small relictual, remnant and restored stands. These communities are best represented on xeric to mesic ultramafic sites where alien annual grasses are less well-adapted.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Native perennial bunchgrasses dominate the stands, where Nassella spp. have >10% relative cover of the herbaceous layer and >5% relative cover in the herbaceous layer. Woody plants, if present, are <10% absolute cover.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Native species must be the characteristic and dominant foliar cover. A general rule of thumb is native species >30-50% relative cover, for most native species representative of native grassland associations (Sawyer et al. 2009). If native species are present but the dominant cover is by introduced annuals, please see ~Californian Ruderal Grassland, Meadow & Scrub Group (G497)$$. Regardless of composition, the native bunchgrass group demands dominant cover of native species. There are many native herbaceous species that may be dominant in this group, be they graminoid bunchgrass, sod-formers, stoloniferous or annual, or annual or perennial forbs.
The idea that these native grasslands were always characterized by bunchgrasses is disputed. The following paragraph is an excerpt from the Nassella pulchra Series description in A Manual of California Vegetation. Second edition by Sawyer et al. (2009): "The long-accepted conclusion that N. pulchra dominated the primeval California prairies and valley grasslands (Clements 1934, Küchler 1964, Heady 1977, Holland 1986b) has been revised (Wester 1981, Brown 1982, Keeley 1990, Hamilton 1997, Holstein 2001, Stromberg 2001, Bartolome et al. 2007). Currently, ecologists think that N. pulchra was not the overall dominant in grasslands but rather was the most opportunistic, widespread native bunchgrass in the state (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2007). Perennial grasses likely dominated the higher precipitation portions of the state''s grasslands along the coast, the windward portions of the Coast Ranges, and some portions of the Central Valley near waterways and marshlands. Annuals likely dominated drier valley grassland habitats, including large portions of the Sierra Nevada foothills, interior drier portions of the coastal ranges, and broad terraces around the Central Valley (Schiffman 2007)."
The idea that these native grasslands were always characterized by bunchgrasses is disputed. The following paragraph is an excerpt from the Nassella pulchra Series description in A Manual of California Vegetation. Second edition by Sawyer et al. (2009): "The long-accepted conclusion that N. pulchra dominated the primeval California prairies and valley grasslands (Clements 1934, Küchler 1964, Heady 1977, Holland 1986b) has been revised (Wester 1981, Brown 1982, Keeley 1990, Hamilton 1997, Holstein 2001, Stromberg 2001, Bartolome et al. 2007). Currently, ecologists think that N. pulchra was not the overall dominant in grasslands but rather was the most opportunistic, widespread native bunchgrass in the state (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2007). Perennial grasses likely dominated the higher precipitation portions of the state''s grasslands along the coast, the windward portions of the Coast Ranges, and some portions of the Central Valley near waterways and marshlands. Annuals likely dominated drier valley grassland habitats, including large portions of the Sierra Nevada foothills, interior drier portions of the coastal ranges, and broad terraces around the Central Valley (Schiffman 2007)."
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Grasslands dominated or characterized by native Mediterranean perennial bunchgrass or sod-forming graminoids. These grasslands have a low stature and are usually less than 1 m in height, although some non-native annuals may exceed the native grasses in height. Woody plants, if present, are <10% absolute cover. Soils are fine-textured and deep.
Floristics: Leymus condensatus, Melica torreyana, Nassella cernua, Nassella lepida, or Nassella pulchra is dominant or characteristically present in the herbaceous layer with other perennial grasses, including Aristida ternipes, Calamagrostis koelerioides, Elymus glaucus, Festuca californica, Hordeum brachyantherum, Koeleria macrantha, Leymus triticoides, Lolium perenne, Melica californica, Melica imperfecta, , and Poa secunda, and with perennial forbs, such as Calochortus spp., Calystegia spp., Sanicula spp., and Sisyrinchium bellum. Common annual herbs include Astragalus spp., Avena barbata, Avena fatua, Bromus hordeaceus, Bromus rubens, Clarkia spp., Cryptantha spp., Croton setigerus (= Eremocarpus setigerus), Erodium spp., Hirschfeldia incana, Holocarpha virgata, Lasthenia spp., Lepidium nitidum, Lupinus spp., Plantago spp., and Trifolium spp. Emergent Artemisia californica, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Eriogonum cinereum, Hazardia squarrosa, Malosma laurina, Rhus integrifolia, Salvia leucophylla, and other shrubs and trees may be present at low cover. Herbs are <1 m tall, and cover is open to intermittent to continuous. Exotic and invasive species can include Avena barbata, Avena fatua, Bromus hordeaceus, Bromus rubens, Lolium perenne, and others.
Wet ultramafic sites may contain stands of Leymus triticoides or Muhlenbergia rigens. Other characteristic plant species include a dominance by native, cool-season bunchgrasses Nassella cernua, Nassella lepida, and Nassella pulchra. Associated species may include Achillea millefolium var. borealis (= Achillea borealis), Aristida spp., Agoseris heterophylla, Elymus glaucus, Festuca californica, Leymus triticoides, Melica californica, and Poa secunda (= Poa scabrella), and native forbs such as Achyrachaena mollis, Bloomeria crocea, Castilleja attenuata (= Orthocarpus attenuatus), Chlorogalum pomeridianum, Clarkia purpurea, Dodecatheon jeffreyi, and Triteleia ixioides (= Brodiaea lutea). Floristic information is summarized from the following sources: Evens and San (2004, 2006), Klein and Evens (2005), Keeler-Wolf and Evens (2006), and Sawyer et al. (2009).
Wet ultramafic sites may contain stands of Leymus triticoides or Muhlenbergia rigens. Other characteristic plant species include a dominance by native, cool-season bunchgrasses Nassella cernua, Nassella lepida, and Nassella pulchra. Associated species may include Achillea millefolium var. borealis (= Achillea borealis), Aristida spp., Agoseris heterophylla, Elymus glaucus, Festuca californica, Leymus triticoides, Melica californica, and Poa secunda (= Poa scabrella), and native forbs such as Achyrachaena mollis, Bloomeria crocea, Castilleja attenuata (= Orthocarpus attenuatus), Chlorogalum pomeridianum, Clarkia purpurea, Dodecatheon jeffreyi, and Triteleia ixioides (= Brodiaea lutea). Floristic information is summarized from the following sources: Evens and San (2004, 2006), Klein and Evens (2005), Keeler-Wolf and Evens (2006), and Sawyer et al. (2009).
Dynamics: Frequently burned, fire interval historically thought to be every 1-3 years.
Environmental Description: These grasslands occur on valley and foothill locations on all topographic locations, on usually rolling topography. Inland soils are deep, well-drained, fine-textured, usually loams with high clay content, while soils near the coast are more shallow and rocky. Elevation ranges from sea level to 1700 m. Grasslands on serpentine-rich parent material occur on deep serpentine soils and can be very moist to dry. Environmental information is summarized from the following sources: Evens and San (2004, 2006), Klein and Evens (2005), Keeler-Wolf and Evens (2006), and Sawyer et al. (2009).
Geographic Range: This group is found in Mediterranean California from sea level to 1700 m (0-5600 feet) elevation.
Nations: MX,US
States/Provinces: CA, MXBCN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.848782
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass | S18 | 2.B |
| Formation | 2.B.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation | F038 | 2.B.1 |
| Division | 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division | D327 | 2.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.1.Na.3 Purple Needlegrass - Harvest Brodiaea - Rusty Popcorn-flower Native Grassland Macrogroup | M045 | 2.B.1.Na.3 |
| Group | 2.B.1.Na.3.b Purple Needlegrass - California Melicgrass - Giant Wildrye Grassland Group | G496 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A1247 Nodding Needlegrass Grassland Alliance | A1247 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A1248 Foothill Needlegrass - Torrey''s Melicgrass Grassland Alliance | A1248 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A1289 Purple Needlegrass Grassland Alliance | A1289 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A2663 Giant Wildrye Coastal Grassland Alliance | A2663 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
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