What is "orcuttia"

Orcuttia is a genus of grass in the family Poaceae. Plants grow up to tall, usually with many stems emerging from the base of the plant, and forming a tuft. The spikelets (groups of flowers) are several-flowered, with reduced upper florets. The lemma tips have between two and five teeth.

Described in 1886, the genus contains five species native to California and Baja California. All plants are associated with vernal pools. Plants sprout when the while pools are full but grow and flower after the pool bed has dried. These annual grasses, known generally as Orcutt grass, are all rare and federally protected in the United States.