. California grasslands and range forage grasses. Grasses; Forage plants. Fig. 67. California oatgrass (Danthonia californica). 2. CALIFORNIA OATGRASS (Danthonia californica) is mostly 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) tall, sometimes shorter or taller, in dense leafy tufts, foliage glabrous; spikelets usually 3 or 4, the glumes 15-20 mm long; teeth of the lemma awned, the flat middle awn 8-12 mm long. (Fig. 67.) Distribution and habitat: California oatgrass, a fairly large, leafy perennial, occurs throughout the coast ranges and mountains of northern California. It thrives in both open and partly shaded gras

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. California grasslands and range forage grasses. Grasses; Forage plants. Fig. 67. California oatgrass (Danthonia californica). 2. CALIFORNIA OATGRASS (Danthonia californica) is mostly 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) tall, sometimes shorter or taller, in dense leafy tufts, foliage glabrous; spikelets usually 3 or 4, the glumes 15-20 mm long; teeth of the lemma awned, the flat middle awn 8-12 mm long. (Fig. 67.) Distribution and habitat: California oatgrass, a fairly large, leafy perennial, occurs throughout the coast ranges and mountains of northern California. It thrives in both open and partly shaded grass areas up to 8000 ft. Forage value: The early leafage of California oatgrass is avidly grazed by all stock, so much so, in fact, that ob- servers have come to regard this plant as an "ice cream" plant on foothill ranges along the coast. (An "ice cream" or "dessert" plant is one which occurs sparingly and is prized by livestock above all others.) 3. AMERICAN OATGRASS (Danthonia californica var. americana) is similar to the preceding, but the culms are com- monly spreading and not so tall; foliage pilose, sometimes sparingly so; spikelets mostly smaller. Intergrades with the spe- cies, plants up to 90 cm tall with pilose foliage and spikelets with glumes to 2 cm long occurring rather rarely. This variety occurs on dry sites over the same general area as California oat- grass and, though less abundant, it has much the same forage value as the species. 4. ONE-SPIKE OATGRASS (Danthonia unispicata) is densely tufted, the culms 6-10 in (15-25 cm) tall, widely spread- ing; foliage pilose, the hairs on the sheaths spreading or reflexed; panicle re- duced to a single spikelet, often with 1 or 2 reduced spikelets below, pedicels ap- pressed; glumes mostly 12-15 mm long. Stands of one-spike oatgrass are lim- ited to intermediate elevations in the Sierra Nevada and in northeastern Cali- fornia, where they occur on the high desert or lava areas. One-spike oatgr