Taxon Report

Pleuropogon californicus (C.G. Nees von Esenbeck) Vasey var. davyi (Benson) A. Löve & D. Löve

Davy's semaphore grass

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Pleuropogon californicus var. davyi, commonly known as Davy's semaphore grass, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Poaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Cismontane woodland, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 150 to 610 meters. Pleuropogon californicus var. davyi is ranked 4.3, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Pleuropogon californicus (C.G. Nees von Esenbeck) Vasey var. davyi (Benson) A. Löve & D. Löve
Common Name:	Davy's semaphore grass
Family:	Poaceae
Element Code:	PMPOA7Y012
USDA Plants Symbol:	PLCAD
Synonyms/Other Names:	Pleuropogon davyi L. Benson Lophochlaena californica Nees var. davyi (L. Benson) Love & Love

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Mar-Jun	Mar-Jun
Elevation:	150-610 (490-2000)
General Habitats:	Cismontane woodland, Lower montane coniferous forest, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.3
Global Rank:	G5T3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Mendocino (MEN), Trinity (TRI)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Covelo East (3912372), Elledge Peak (3912312), Lake Mountain (4012314), Laytonville (3912364), Purdys Gardens (3912311), Ukiah (3912322), Willits (3912343)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	0 %

Notes



Threatened by non-native plants and road construction. See P. californicus in The Jepson Manual. See American Journal of Botany 28:360 (1941) for original description, and Novon 4:16-17 (1994) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 26 November 2025].