Taxon Report
Orcuttia californica VaseyCalifornia Orcutt grass |
 © Anuja Parikh and Nathan Gale |
Taxon Summary
Orcuttia californica, commonly known as California Orcutt grass, is a annual herb in the Poaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Vernal pools, growing at elevations from 15 to 660 meters. Orcuttia californica is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Orcuttia californica Vasey |
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Common Name: |
California Orcutt grass |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Element Code: | PMPOA4G010 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | ORCA |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | annual herb |
| Blooming Period: Apr-Aug | Apr-Aug |
| Elevation: | 15-660 (50-2165) |
| General Habitats: | Vernal pools |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.1 |
| Global Rank: | G1 |
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State Rank: |
S1 |
| State List: | CE |
| Fed List: | FE |
| Other Status: | SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_CRES |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 38 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 0 |
| Good (B) | 9 |
| Fair (C) | 5 |
| Poor (D) | 3 |
| None (X) | 8 |
| Unknown (U) | 13 |
| California Endemic: False | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Los Angeles (LAX), Orange (ORA), Riverside (RIV), San Diego (SDG), Ventura (VEN) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Bachelor Mtn. (3311751), Del Mar (3211782), Encinitas (3311713), Hot Springs Mtn. (3311635), Imperial Beach (3211751), Inglewood (3311883)*, Jamul Mountains (3211668), La Jolla (3211772), Lake Elsinore (3311763), Long Beach (3311872), Los Alamitos (3311871)*, Mint Canyon (3411844), Murrieta (3311752)*, Newhall (3411845), Newport Beach (3311768), Oat Mountain (3411835), Otay Mesa (3211658), Romoland (3311762), San Fernando (3411834), Santa Susana (3411836), Simi (3411837), South Gate (3311882)*, Val Verde (3411846), Warner Springs (3311636), Whittier (3311881), Wildomar (3311753), Winchester (3311761) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 13 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 25 | 66 % | |
| Development | 15 | 39% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 9 | 23% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 7 | 18% |
| Other | 7 | 18% |
| Grazing | 6 | 15% |
| ORV activity | 6 | 15% |
| Agriculture | 6 | 15% |
| Disking | 4 | 10% |
| Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime | 2 | 5% |
| Improper burning regime | 2 | 5% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 2 | 5% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 1 | 2% |
| Dam/Inundation | 1 | 2% |
Notes
| See Madroño 45(4):328 (1998) for distribution information. |
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Threats: |
| Seriously threatened by agriculture, development, non-native plants, grazing, and vehicles. |
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Taxonomy: |
| See Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 13:219 (1886) for original description and American Journal of Botany 69:1082-1095 (1982) for taxonomic treatment. |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 9 November 2025].