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Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office

Species Account

NAPA BLUEGRASS
(Poa napensis)

CLASSIFICATION: Federal Endangered Species (Federal Register 62-54791  pdf; October 22, 1997)

CRITICAL HABITAT: None designated.

RECOVERY PLAN:  Recovery Plan for Coastal Plants (under development)

DESCRIPTION:

Napa bluegrass (Poa napensis) is an erect, tufted perennial bunch grass that belongs to the grass family (Poaceae). This plant grows to 4 inches in height. The 0.04 inch wide leaves are folded and are stiffly erect. Longer basal leaves grow to about 8 inches long, upper leaves to about 6 inches.

A few erect, flowering stems appear in May and grow to as much as 27 inches in height. Pale green to purple flowers bloom in condensed, round-shaped clusters at the end of the few flowering stems. See Hickman (1993) in General Information about California Plants, below, for a detailed description of the species.

DISTRIBUTION:

Two populations of Napa bluegrass are known to exist in the Calistoga area of Napa County.  They are in grasslands and moist, alkaline meadows fed by geothermal hot springs. Both extant populations are on private land.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Napa bluegrass is threatened by recreational activities, airport maintenance, urbanization, and random events. Historically, the range of this plant has been diminished by the development of recreational hot springs and the growth of the town of Calistoga. Alterations in the hydrology of the hot springs or geysers or overland flow would pose a threat to this plant. Such alterations would include, but not be limited to, new water well drilling into the underground water sources or increasing the draw-down from existing wells.

This species was listed as endangered by the California Department of Fish and Game in July 1979. The California Native Plant Society has placed it on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).

REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Hitchcock, A. S. 1971. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. 2nd ed. Dover Press.

Soreng, R. J. 1991. Systematics of the "Epiles" Group of Poa (Poaceae). Systematic Bot. 16(3):507-528.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 1997. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Nine Plants From the Grasslands or Mesic Areas of the Central Coast of California. Portland, Oregon.

General Information about California Plants

Prepared by Endangered Species Div., Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service


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