Print Report

M045 Nassella pulchra - Brodiaea elegans - Plagiobothrys nothofulvus Native Grassland Macrogroup

Type Concept Sentence: This macrogroup consists of native perennial and annual forb- and grass-dominated meadows and grasslands of California from the coast to the upper foothills of the Sierra Nevada, dominated or characterized by native perennial bunchgrass Nassella spp., and/or perennial forbs such as Brodiaea, Calochortus, Dichelostemma, Sanicula, and Triteleia spp., annual species such as Amsinckia spp., Eschscholzia spp., Lotus unifoliolatus, Lupinus spp., Plagiobothrys nothofulvus, Trifolium variegatum, and Vulpia microstachys. Occurrences often have high native species richness though they may have significant abundance of non-native species.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Purple Needlegrass - Harvest Brodiaea - Rusty Popcorn-flower Native Grassland Macrogroup

Colloquial Name: Californian Annual & Perennial Grassland

Hierarchy Level:  Macrogroup

Type Concept: This macrogroup includes the now relictual native perennial grasslands, native annual grasslands and native annual forb meadows of California. Characteristic native plant species include a dominance by native, cool-season bunchgrasses Agoseris heterophylla, Aristida spp., Bromus carinatus, Elymus glaucus, Festuca californica, Festuca idahoensis, Leymus condensatus, Melica californica, Nassella cernua, Nassella lepida, Nassella pulchra, and Poa secunda. Native annual species include Amsinckia spp., Eschscholzia spp., Lotus unifoliolatus, Lupinus spp., Plagiobothrys nothofulvus, Trifolium variegatum, and Vulpia microstachys. Occurrences often have high native species richness, though many now have significant abundance of non-native species. Historically, native perennial 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. This macrogroup occurs in Mediterranean California 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.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: No Data Available

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Herbaceous grasslands and meadows dominated by perennial bunchgrasses, and/or annual grasses and forbs, less than 2 m in height.

Floristics: Stands have a characteristic presence of native perennial grasses and/or diagnostic native annual grasses or forbs. In bunchgrass grasslands, Nassella pulchra, Nassella cernua, or Nassella lepida is dominant or characteristically present in the herbaceous layer with other annual or perennial species such as Agoseris heterophylla, Aristida spp., Bromus carinatus, Elymus glaucus, Festuca californica, Festuca idahoensis, Leymus condensatus, Melica californica, and Poa secunda (= Poa scabrella). Annual grasslands have a wide variation in the abundance of native species, both spatially and temporally as seed banks respond to temperature and rainfall events which trigger germination. Characteristic annual species include Amsinckia menziesii, Amsinckia tessellata, Eschscholzia californica (sometimes perennial but iconic and conspicuous), Eschscholzia lobbii, Centromadia pungens, Lasthenia californica, Lasthenia gracilis, Layia spp., Lotus unifoliolatus (= Lotus purshianus), Lupinus spp., Madia elegans, Monolopia spp., Phacelia spp., Plagiobothrys nothofulvus, Plantago erecta, Trifolium variegatum, and Vulpia microstachys (= Festuca microstachys). Non-native species can include Avena barbata, Avena fatua, Bromus hordeaceus, Bromus rubens, Lolium perenne, and others.

Dynamics:  Perennial grasslands were frequently burned and historically the fire interval was thought to be every 1-3 years. Annual grasslands and forblands are spatially and temporally variable in size and richness from year to year depending on winter temperatures and the amount and timing of winter to spring precipitation. Revisit analyses show that some annual types are more stable than others with the most variation seen across drought years in the semi-arid grasslands of the San Joaquin Valley (Buck-Diaz et al. 2013). Other factors include the amount of soil tillage by native fossorial mammals. Exotic and invasive species competitively impact native species abundance. Management through burning, native wildlife or livestock grazing, or other methods is often necessary to reduce non-native species pressures and maintain characteristic presence of natives.
Environmental Description:  These grasslands occur on bluff, valley and foothill locations on all topographic locations. Soils range from deep, well-drained, fine-textured loams with high clay content, to more shallow and rocky soils. Elevation ranges from sea level to 1700 m. Grasslands on serpentine-rich parent material occur on deep serpentinite soils and can be very moist to dry. Some stands occur in more mesic settings such as seasonal to intermittently flooded alluvial flats and stream terraces, or at the edges of vernal pools, in swales, seeps, and moist grassy flats.
Geographic Range: This macrogroup is found throughout Mediterranean California from sea level to ~300 m (0-1000 feet) elevation.

Nations: MX?,US

States/Provinces:  CA, NV


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.a Californian Annual Grassland & Forb Meadow Group G766 2.B.1.Na.3.a
Group 2.B.1.Na.3.b Purple Needlegrass - California Melicgrass - Giant Wildrye Grassland Group G496 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: < Coastal Prairie (Barbour and Major 1988)
< Coastal Prairie (Barbour et al. 2007a)
< Coastal Prairie (214) (Shiflet 1994) [The native bunchgrass grasslands part corresponds with this group.]
< Valley Grassland (215) (Shiflet 1994) [The native bunchgrass grasslands part corresponds with this group.]
< Valley Grassland and Annual Grassland (Barbour and Major 1988)
< Valley Grassland and Annual Grassland (Barbour et al. 2007a)
Concept Author(s): M.G. Barbour, T. Keeler-Wolf and A.A. Schoenherr (2007a)

Author of Description: G. Kittel, P. Comer, T. Keeler-Wolf, M.S. Reid

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 10-15-14
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