This is a very nice grassy beast, fairly fine, blades alternate up the stem to a flowering spike. Base of the stems is deep red but the rest is a nice medium bright green. No hairs on the stems or leaves. The seedhead is green with each flower/glume showing two miniscule feathery plumes of bright magenta purple. Total height, about 3 feet.

It showed up in my (very former!) lawn area; it pops up after the foxtails have croaked and gone to seed, so it's a warm season grass. Birds and mice and rabbits go bonkers for the seedheads at any stage.

I don't have a picture set online as yet...does anyone have any ideas here?

I'm in the Butte County, California area, if that helps.