Taxon Report

Munroa squarrosa (Nutt.) Torr.

false buffalo-grass

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Munroa squarrosa, commonly known as false buffalo-grass, is a annual herb in the Poaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Pinyon and juniper woodland (gravelly, and rocky), growing at elevations from 1500 to 1800 meters. Munroa squarrosa is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Munroa squarrosa (Nutt.) Torr.
Common Name:	false buffalo-grass
Family:	Poaceae
Element Code:	PMPOA49010
USDA Plants Symbol:	MUSQ3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Oct	Oct
Elevation:	1500-1800 (4920-5905)
General Habitats:	Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	4
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	4

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Clark Mtn. (3511555), Mid Hills (3511524), Pinto Valley (3511523)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Known in CA only from the Clark and New York mountains. Threatened by foot traffic. Possibly threatened by grazing. May appear only after heavy summer rains.
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 18 November 2025].