Taxon Report

Distichlis littoralis (Engelm.) H.L. Bell & Columbus

shore grass

Print Report

Donald Myrick

Taxon Summary

Distichlis littoralis, commonly known as shore grass, is a perennial herb in the Poaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Marshes and swamps, growing at elevations from 0 to 12 meters. Distichlis littoralis is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Distichlis littoralis (Engelm.) H.L. Bell & Columbus
Common Name:	shore grass
Family:	Poaceae
Element Code:	PMPOA46010
USDA Plants Symbol:	DILI11
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: (Feb-Mar)Apr-Jul(Aug-Dec)	(Feb-Mar)Apr-Jul(Aug-Dec)
Elevation:	0-12 (0-40)
General Habitats:	Marshes and swamps
Microhabitat:	Edges
Microhabitat Details:	Usually found along saltmarsh edges near high tide lines.

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Global Rank:	G4G5
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CRES
CRPR Changes:	added to 4.2 on 2024-12-20

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: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)

Quads: Name (Quad Code)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes




Threats:
Possibly threatened by development, non-native plants, illegal dumping, and urbanization. Potentially threatened by sea level rise.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed addition to CRPR 4.2, G4/S3 (2024)

Transactions of the Academy of Sciences of St. Louis 437, pl. 13-14 (1859)

Systematic Botany 33(3): pp. 536-551 (2008)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 24 October 2025].