Nassella tenuissima
Synonyms: Stipa tenuissima
Common names: Mexican feathergrass
Nassella tenuissima (Mexican feathergrass) is a perennial grass (family Poaceae) that can grow to be 2 feet tall and is found in the central and south coast ranges of California. It is native to Mexico, Texas, Argentina and Chile. It has been a popular ornamental and favors grasslands and woodlands in its natural habitat. Plants are bunch grasses that can form dense stands, with relatively unpalatable thin leaves that can increase fuel load. Mexican feathergrass seeds prolifically; its seeds adhere to clothing and fur and are dispersed by livestock, humans, wind and water. Mexican feathergrass was previously listed as a “Watch” species until sufficient concern about its proliferation adjacent to landscaping and in other disturbed sites warranted re-evaluation. It is listed as a “do not plant” species by PlantRight.
Cal-IPC Rating: Limited?CDFA Rating: None?
Assessment(s)
Nassella tenuissima Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
Weed Management Notes
No Weed RIC Management Notes are available for this species. Check for information on other species in the genus on the Weed RIC site.Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles
- PlantRight update: Nursery survey and plant list. Falzone, Stephanie. Vol 25, Issue 3
- PlantRight makes strides promoting non-invasive gardening and landscaping. Richardson, Greg; Merryweather, Jan. Vol 22, Issue 3
- Wildland Weed News. Cal-IPC. Vol 22, Issue 2
- New weed alerts!. DiTomaso, Joe. Vol 13, Issue 4
Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations
Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.
- 2005 Cal-IPC weed alerts, new invasions, recent expansions, and a few others to be on the look-out for. DiTomaso, Joseph M. (2005)
- 2004 Cal-IPC Red Alert! New invasions, recent expansions, and a few others to be on the look-out for…. DiTomaso, Joseph M. (2004)
Other Nassella tenuissima Information
- CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
- Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
- CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
- EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
- GBIF - Global distribution information.
- Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
- USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.
Additional photos
