Taxon Report

Anthoxanthum nitens (Weber) Y. Schouten & Veldkamp ssp. nitens

vanilla-grass

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Taxon Summary

Anthoxanthum nitens ssp. nitens, commonly known as vanilla-grass, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Poaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 1500 to 1895 meters. Anthoxanthum nitens ssp. nitens is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Anthoxanthum nitens (Weber) Y. Schouten & Veldkamp ssp. nitens
Common Name:	vanilla-grass
Family:	Poaceae
Element Code:	PMPOA35041
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Hierochloe odorata

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul	Apr-Jul
Elevation:	1500-1895 (4920-6215)
General Habitats:	Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G5T5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	6
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	3
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	3

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT), Shasta (SHA), Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Crescent City (4112472), Lassen Peak (4012145), Panther Rock (4112272), Seven Lakes Basin (4112224), Smith River (4112482), Thousand Lakes Valley (4012165)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	67 %
Grazing	2	33%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	33%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	16%
Logging	1	16%

Notes



Unconfirmed specimens at the California Academy of Sciences have been recorded from Yosemite NP, San Pedro Valley (SMT Co.), and Fern Cyn. (MEN Co.); need verification. On review list in OR.
Threats:
Possibly threatened by grazing and foot traffic.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Anthoxanthum nitens ssp. nitens profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2017)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 October 2025].