Taxon Report

Stipa exigua (Thurb.) Columbus & J.P. Sm.

little ricegrass

Print Report


©2011 Steve Matson

Taxon Summary

Stipa exigua, commonly known as little ricegrass, is a perennial herb in the Poaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, growing at elevations from 2345 to 2420 meters. Stipa exigua is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Stipa exigua (Thurb.) Columbus & J.P. Sm.
Common Name:
 little ricegrass
Family: Poaceae
Element Code: PMPOA80030
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:
  • Oryzopsis exigua

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug Jun-Aug
Elevation: 2345-2420 (7695-7940)
General Habitats: Great Basin scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 2B.3
Global Rank: G4G5
State Rank:
 S2
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: BLM_S
CRPR Changes:
  • changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 3
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 1
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 2

Location
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Harvey Mtn. (4012161), Mount Dome (4112176), Observation Peak (4012072), Pine Creek Valley (4012151)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 1
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
1 33 %
Grazing 1 33%

Notes
Not in TJM (1993). See Botany of the Wilkes Exploratory Expedition 17:481 (1874) for original description, and Phytologia 74(1):1-25 (1993) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
Not in TJM (1993).

Selected References

Stipa exigua profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2018)
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 31 October 2025].