Taxon Report
Imperata brevifolia VaseyCalifornia satintail |
 © 2020 Matt C. Berger |
Species Description:
Imperata brevifolia, commonly known as California satintail, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Poaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, Coastal scrub, Meadows and seeps (often alkali), Mojavean desert scrub, and Riparian scrub, growing at elevations from 0 to 1215 meters. Imperata brevifolia is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.
Classification
|
Scientific Name: |
Imperata brevifolia Vasey |
|
Common Name: |
California satintail |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Element Code: | PMPOA3D020 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | IMBR2 |
|
Synonyms/Other Names: |
|
Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial rhizomatous herb |
| Blooming Period: Sep-May | Sep-May |
| Elevation: | 0-1215 (0-3985) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral, Coastal scrub, Meadows and seeps, Mojavean desert scrub, Riparian scrub |
| Microhabitat: | Mesic |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 2B.1 |
| Global Rank: | G3 |
|
State Rank: |
S3 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_SBBG; USFS_S |
|
CRPR Changes: |
|
Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 32 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 0 |
| Good (B) | 0 |
| Fair (C) | 0 |
| Poor (D) | 1 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 31 |
| California Endemic: False | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Butte (BUT), Fresno (FRE), Imperial (IMP), Inyo (INY), Kern (KRN), Lake (LAK)*, Los Angeles (LAX), Orange (ORA), Riverside (RIV), San Bernardino (SBD), Tehama (TEH), Tulare (TUL), Ventura (VEN) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Azusa (3411728), Blythe NE (3311465), Campbell Mound (3912187), Canada Gobernadora (3311755), Clearlake Highlands (3812286), Clovis (3611976), Condor Peak (3411832), Craig Canyon (3611767), East of Tin Mountain (3611783), Fresno North (3611977)?, Fresno South (3611967), Furnace Creek (3611647), Glendora (3411727)?, Gosford (3511931)?, Harrison Mtn. (3411722), Heber (3211565), Keller Peak (3411721), Malaga (3611966), Matilija (3411943), Nevares Peak (3611657), New York Butte (3611768), Oildale (3511941), Palm Springs (3311675), Panamint Butte (3611743), Paradise West (3912176), Piedra (3611974), Redlands (3411712)?, Reedley (3611954), Richardson Springs (3912177), San Bernardino North (3411723), San Jacinto (3311678), Scottys Castle (3711713), Visalia (3611933), Wahtoke (3611964), Wheeler Springs (3411953), Whispering Pines (3812276)*, White Water (3311686), Yucaipa (3411711) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 1 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 3 | 9 % | |
| Development | 3 | 9% |
Notes
| Many collections old; need field surveys. Records from BUT, THE, and LAK counties may represent escapes from ornamental plantings. See Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 13: 26 (1886) for original description. |
|
Threats: |
|
Threatened by development and agriculture. Mistakenly classified as a noxious weed in California from 1960 to 2004. |
|
Taxonomy: |
Selected References
| CRPR List Addition on 2006-12-26 |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 11 January 2025].