PLANTS - California Department of Fish and Game

San Diego thorn mint 

(Acanthomintha ilicifolia) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - T (1998) 

PLANTS 

SPECIES ACCOUNTS 

General Habitat: Chaparral 

Coastal Scrub 

Valley and Foothill Grassland 

San Diego thorn mint is a small, aromatic annual in the mint family (Lamiaceae) 

with delicate white and rose colored flowers. The lower halves of its leaves are wedgeshaped 

and its flower clusters are covered by prominently spined bracts. The thorn 

mint genus occurs almost exclusively in California and every taxon within the genus is 

rare. This species is found in heavy clay soils in grasslands and in openings in the chaparral 

and coastal sage scrub of San Diego County and Baja California Norte, Mexico. 

Though the majority of known populations occur on privately owned lands, scattered 

populations of San Diego thorn mint are found on lands owned or managed by public 

agencies or conservation organizations such as the Cleveland National Forest, The 

Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) McGinty Mountain, City of San Diego’s Mission Trails 

Regional Park, and on DFG land in Sycamore Canyon. 

Approximately 30 natural populations of San Diego thorn mint remain in San 

Diego County and more than 15 populations are known to have been extirpated. The 

extirpations are largely the result of urban development along the coastal plain of 

western San Diego County from Carlsbad south to Otay Mesa. Urban development, 

unauthorized off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity, and continuing invasion of natural 

habitat by weedy, non-native annual plants are ongoing threats to this species. Habitat 

protection and active management will be essential to the continued preservation of 

San Diego thorn mint. This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation 

Plan NCCP. It is also covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company Subregional 

NCCP, a linear NCCP from Orange County to the Mexican Border. It will likely 

be covered in the San Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation Program NCCP to be finalized 

in the next few years. 

The status in 1999 of San Diego thorn mint: Declining. 

San Mateo thorn mint 

(Acanthomintha obovata spp. duttonii = A. duttonii) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1985) 

General Habitat: Valley and Foothill Grassland 

San Diego 

thorn mint 

San Mateo thorn mint is a small, aromatic, annual herb in the mint family 

(Lamiaceae) covered with minute, grayish hairs. Its white and purple-tinged flowers 

San Mateo 

occur in clusters covered by spiny bracts. This genus is almost entirely restricted to 

thorn mint 

California and all of its taxa are rare. San Mateo thorn mint is known only from serpentine 

grassland, a specific habitat of soils derived from serpentinitic rock. 

Historically, San Mateo thorn mint was known from five occurrences in the 

Crystal Springs region of San Mateo County. Only two of the known populations 

remain; the rest were extirpated by urbanization. Both populations are in serpentine 

grassland, one within Edgewood County Park, and the other adjacent to Edgewood in an 

area known as “The Triangle” which is owned by the City and County of San Francisco 

and managed by SFWD. The small population at Edgewood Park lies directly downhill 

Threatened and Endangered Species 93

Marin bent grass 

Munz’s onion 

from a housing development; the resulting changes in drainage patterns and water 

chemistry threaten this population. Population sizes at both locations vary from year 

to year due to local rainfall and competition from nonnative plants. 

This taxon was the subject of a recovery workshop conducted by the DFG in 

cooperation with USFWS, in which paraticipants discussed the recent population 

distribution and abundance information and the apparent poor state of an introduced 

population. Current data suggest the introduced population has not built up a sufficient 

seedbank. To protect this plant from extinction, both natural populations must be 

preserved and further reintroduction into suitable habitat should be pursued. Management 

and recovery actions for the species have been addressed in the federal Recovery 

Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of San Mateo thorn mint: Declining. 

Marin bent grass 

(Agrostis blasdalei var. marinensis) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Coastal Prairie 

Marin bent grass, a member of the grass family (Poaceae), has erect stems and 

slender leaves. Its green flowers occur in narrow, spikelike clusters. This variety grows 

on a decomposed granite outcrop at a single location in Marin County. It is very closely 

related to Blasdale’s bent grass (Agrostis blasdalei var. blasdalei), which is found in northern 

coastal dunes, and one taxonomist questions the distinctness of the variety 

marinensis. 

The continued existence of Marin bent grass is precarious. The single known 

population usually consists of just over a dozen individuals growing near a popular 

parking area for picnickers; however in 1998 no plants could be found. Because Marin 

bent grass occurs on private land near the junction of two roads, it is vulnerable to road 

maintenance and improvement activities. In addition, if it has not already been extirpated, 

this single surviving population could be eliminated by a chance event. There are 

no management efforts in effect to protect this plant. 

The status in 1999 of Marin bent grass: Declining or possibly extirpated. 

Munz’s onion 

(Allium munzii) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - E (1998) 

General Habitat: Coastal Scrub 

Valley Foothill Grassland 

Munz’s onion is a small, bulb-bearing perennial herb in the lily family (Liliaceae) 

with white, aromatic flowers. Plants are restricted to clay soils in the rapidly disappearing 

grasslands of western Riverside County. It shares its range and habitat with an 

onion of similar appearance, the red-skinned onion (Allium haematochiton). The two 

species occur within several feet of each other at some sites, but do not interbreed. 

Most of Munz’s onion’s historical habitat has been destroyed. The 16 remaining populations 

are fragmented and isolated and face such threats as urbanization, OHV activity, 

invasions of exotic plants, and road construction. One population is on USFS land; four 

additional populations are within natural reserves or county parks. 

A researcher at UC Riverside has shown that a portion of bulbs do not send up 

leaves or flowers each year, and therefore cannot be counted. This is likely correlated 

with broad climatic patterns in annual temperature and rainfall. The same researcher 

94 Department of Fish and Game

has found that establishment of new plants in two populations is primarily by seed, 

rather than by bulbs. 

The status in 1999 of Munz’s onion: Declining. 

Yosemite onion 

(Allium yosemitense) 

CA -R (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Broadleaved Upland Forest 

Chaparral 

Cismontane Woodland 

Montane Conifer Forest 

Yosemite onion, a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), is a perennial herb that 

grows from a bulb. It produces two linear, basal leaves, and its rose or white flowers 

occur in an umbel at the end of a leafless stem. The species occurs on open, steep, rocky 

slopes of metamorphic or granitic rock in the central Sierra Nevada. Populations occur 

in Mariposa and Tuolumne counties. 

Yosemite onion is known from 13 occurrences on federal lands within Yosemite 

National Park and in the Sierra and Stanislaus National Forests. As of 1998, most of the 

occurrences appeared stable except one, which had declined. Most occurrences are in 

remote areas with few threats. 

The status in 1999 of Yosemite onion: Stable. 

Large-flowered fiddleneck 

(Amsinckia grandiflora) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1985) 

General Habitat: Cismontane Woodland 


Large-flowered fiddleneck, the rarest of the ten California species of Amsinckia, 

is an erect, coarsely hairy annual herb in the borage family (Boraginaceae). The large, 

orange-red flowers are borne on stalks curved like the neck of a fiddle. The historic 

distribution of this species included the dry inland hills of Alameda, Contra Costa and 

San Joaquin counties. Much of the habitat of the species is now grazing land. The 

primary current threat to the species is believed to be competition from non-native, 

annual grasses. Other threats include stochastic extinction due to small numbers of 

populations, and fluctuations in numbers due to predation by rodents. 

At present, only three natural populations are known. These all occur in the 

Altamont Hills of the Diablo Range. Two are on Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 

(LLNL) land at what is known as Site 300 and are referred to as the Drop Tower and 

Draney Canyon populations. The third is on private ranch land in Carnegie Canyon 

near the southern border of Site 300. In 1989 and 1990, several experimental populations 

were planted in historic habitat: one at Connolly Ranch, southwest of Site 300, which is 

considered to have failed; one on DFG owned land at Corral Hollow, which is also 

considered failed; two at Black Diamond Preserve in eastern Contra Costa County, one 

of which has apparently been somewhat successful; one at Drop Tower (near the 

natural population), which still persists; and two at Los Vaqueros, also considered failed. 

All of the populations, both native and experimental, have experienced dramatic 

declines in the last three years and we believe this is due to unusually heavy rainfall 

years and increased in nonnative grasses therefore increasing food sources to rodents 

and increasing rodent populations. 

Heavy rains during the winter of 1996-1997 resulted in a landslide in the area of 

Yosemite onion 

Large-flowered 

fiddleneck 


McDonald’s 

rock cress 

the Draney Canyon natural population. Only one plant was observed in 1997, and after 

further erosion in 1998, no plants were found. LLNL manages the populations on its 

land, including controlling non-native species and developing techniques for native 

grass restoration. 

It is difficult to determine the overall trend within any given decade of monitoring, 

because the population size can fluctuate to a large degree every year. Because 

there are so few natural populations, the largest population is not protected, and reintroduction 

does not appear to be very successful, the long-term outlook for this species 

is still precarious. 

Note: In April 2000, beyond the date of information included in this report, the 

Department of Energy entered into an agreement with the USFWS which designated 

160 acres within LLNL Site 300 as the Amsinckia grandiflora Reserve to provide for the 

survival and recovery of the species. 

The status in 1999 of large-flowered fiddleneck: Declining. 

McDonald’s rock cress 

(Arabis macdonaldiana) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1978) 

General Habitat: Lower Montane Conifer Forest 

McDonald’s rock cress, a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), is a small 

rosette-forming perennial herb with light purple flowers and erect flattened seed pods. 

It is restricted to serpentine soils in open, rocky areas of montane coniferous forests, 

often growing in rock crevices or on sites with naturally high soil disturbance such as 

steep, unstable slopes. Intolerance to competition seems to be the primary factor 

limiting the natural distribution of this species. McDonald’s rock cress is known in 

California from Red Mountain in Mendocino County and from Del Norte County; it 

also occurs in Curry County, Oregon. Other rare taxa known to occur on the serpentine 

soils of Red Mountain include the State listed endangered Kellogg’s buckwheat 

(Eriogonum kelloggii) and Red Mountain catchfly (Silene campanulata ssp. campanulata) as 

well as the unlisted but rare Red Mountain stonecrop (Sedum laxum ssp. eastwoodiae). 

McDonald’s rock cress on Red Mountain in Mendocino County is known from only 

two occurrences. The species is less restricted in Del Norte County, with nearly 30 

occurrences there. 

The main threat to this species is potential mining of the significant nickel and 

chromium deposits under or adjacent to populations. Mining claims exist over much of 

the restricted habitat of this plant. Within the boundaries of the Smith River National 

Recreation Area, about 35 percent of known occurrences could be affected by mining. 

In addition to direct impacts, the indirect effects of mining and nickel extraction 

operations (e.g., erosion and road construction) could endanger a majority of the populations 

located on the North Fork of the Smith River in Del Norte County. OHV activities 

may also threaten populations in this area. Outlying colonies growing in the Rough 

and Ready Creek watershed in Oregon may be threatened by a mining project in the 

Siskiyou National Forest. The species seems to be intolerant of competition, and fire 

suppression may also pose a threat to the species. 

McDonald’s rock cress occurs on private and BLM lands in Mendocino County 

and on USFS land in Del Norte County. BLM has designated Red Mountain as an ACEC 

and has conducted studies on the population dynamics and reproductive biology of the 

species there. These populations continue to be monitored as part of a long-term study 

being conducted by CSU Sacramento with support from BLM. The Six Rivers National 

Forest has designated 21,370 acres of the North Fork Smith River watershed as a Botanical 

Area and has developed a monitoring plan. The goals of this plan are to develop a 

habitat management guide, investigate habitat characteristics, and continue to survey 

for potential habitat. 

The status in 1999 of McDonald’s rock cress: Unknown. 


Baker’s manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos bakeri) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Chaparral 

Baker’s manzanita is an upright, evergreen shrub in the heath family (Ericaceae) 

with pinkish flowers, dark purple bark, pungent leaves, and bright red fruits. Its 

branchlets and leaves have sticky glandular hairs, and its flower stems are hairless. This 

species is largely restricted to serpentine soils in the localized chaparral communities of 

Sonoma County. Nine of the 11 known occurrences are on private land, with the 

remaining two owned by the DFG and CNPS. 

Most populations are clustered in the area near Occidental, Sonoma County. The 

chief threat to Baker’s manzanita is residential development, followed by agricultural 

conversion, OHVs, dumping, nonnative plant encroachment, and hybridization with 

common manzanitas. Two populations occur on land planned for development. Succession 

toward oaks and California bay, which shade out Baker’s manzanita, is also 

occurring as a result of fire suppression at most locations. 

The status in 1999 of Baker’s manzanita: Declining. 

Vine Hill manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos densiflora) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - None 


Vine Hill manzanita is a low evergreen shrub in the heath family (Ericaceae) 

with shiny green leaves, black branches, and small white to pinkish flowers in a manyflowered, 

branched flower stalk. It roots from nodes along its spreading branches and a 

single plant can reach several meters across. Vine Hill manzanita is restricted to the 

“Sonoma Barren,” an area of acid marine sand deposits in western Sonoma County. 

Over the last 20 years, Vine Hill manzanita has come close to extinction. All but 

one population in the Vine Hill area have been destroyed by agriculture, residential 

development, or roadside weed abatement. The last known population, consisting of 

several mature individuals and a number of younger plants grown from cuttings, occurs 

on CNPS’s one-acre Vine Hill Preserve. Plants at the preserve suffer from a persistent 

fungal disease. 

The status in 1999 of Vine Hill manzanita: Declining. 

Hanging Gardens manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos edmundsii var. parvifolia) 

CA - R (1981) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Coastal Bluff Scrub 

Chaparral 

Hanging Gardens manzanita is a prostrate evergreen shrub without a basal burl, 

with glossy green leaves and bright red berries. This member of the heath family 

(Ericaceae) grows near the ocean on eroded ridges and sandstone banks subject to strong 

on-shore winds. It is known from one population on private land near Point Sur in 

Monterey County. The plant grows down perpendicular banks in closely adherent 

Baker’s manzanita 

Vine Hill 

manzanita 

Hanging Gardens 

manzanita 


Hearst’s manzanita 

San Bruno 

Mountain 

manzanita 

drapes. A recent taxonomic treatment has consolidated Hanging Gardens manzanita 

with Little Sur manzanita (A. edmundsii), which is itself limited to only nine occurrences 

on the Little Sur coast, although it is not State or federally listed. DFG has no recent 

information on the status of this plant. 

The status in 1999 of Hanging Gardens manzanita: Unknown. 

Hearst’s manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. hearstiorum) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Maritime Chaparral 

Coastal Scrub 


Foothill Grassland 

Hearst’s manzanita is an evergreen shrub in the heath family (Ericaceae) with 

shiny green leaves, tiny white flowers, and bright red fruits. This subspecies lacks a 

basal burl and is found on grassy hills and mesas in open areas of coastal prairie and 

chaparral plant communities. It grows on sandy loam substrates derived from old, 

stabilized sand dunes near the coast. All five known occurrences of Hearst’s manzanita 

are located on the Hearst Ranch, owned by the Hearst Corporation, in San Luis Obispo 

County. The DFG’s most recent observation information for this species dates from the 

mid-1980s. The population status and habitat conditions for this species needs further 

investigation. 

The status in 1999 of Hearst’s manzanita: Unknown. 

Presidio manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. ravenii) 

CA - E (1978) 

FED - E (1979) 


Coastal Prairie 

Presidio manzanita is a prostrate, evergreen shrub covered with fine gray hairs, 

with round leaves and compact flower stalks of urn shaped white to pink flowers. This 

member of the heath family (Ericaceae) grows on shallow, rocky serpentine soils in 

open areas with some exposure to fog within the Presidio of San Francisco. Historically, 

Presidio manzanita was known from three other sites in San Francisco County that 

were destroyed by urbanization in the late 1930s. This taxon has been reduced to a 

single wild plant plus some clones, which are managed by the National Park Service 

(NPS). The single wild plant was found in the winter of 1997-98 with a fungal pathogen 

resulting in approximately 10 percent dieback of branches; as of August 1998, vigorous 

regrowth had covered over most of the dieback. The plants are protected by fencing and 

are measured and weeded each year. 

The status in 1999 of Presidio manzanita: Stable to declining. 

San Bruno mountain manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos imbricata) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 



San Bruno Mountain manzanita is a low evergreen shrub in the heath family 

(Ericaceae) with white flowers. This species lacks a basal burl, has branchlets with short 

spreading hairs, bright green, closely overlapping leaves, and fruits with glandular hairs. 

It forms dense, mat-like colonies on shallow soils derived from Franciscan sandstone, 

greywacke, or shale. San Bruno Mountain manzanita is known only from the summit of 

San Bruno Mountain in San Mateo County. Another endangered species, Pacific manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos pacifica), also occurs near the summit of San Bruno Mountain. At 

present there are six small populations of San Bruno Mountain manzanita. Five of these 

occur within San Mateo County Park, while one is located on privately owned property. 

In 1997, USFWS withdrew its Proposed Rule to list San Bruno Mountain manzanita 

as threatened based on protection given to the plant under the San Bruno Mountain 

HCP. The HCP preserves most of San Bruno Mountain and provides for monitoring and 

management of San Bruno Mountain manzanita. 

A fungal pathogen infected the plants beginning in about 1997 and caused 

significant dieback or loss of entire plants. Since then, recovery has been generally good, 

although some management such as controlled burning may benefit the species. 

The status in 1999 of San Bruno Mountain manzanita: Stable. 

Pacific manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos pacifica) 

CA - E (1979) 


Pacific manzanita is a low, prostrate, evergreen shrub with white flowers in the 

heath family (Ericaceae). This plant has a basal burl, branchlets with fine hairs, pale 

green leaves with finely serrate margins, and fruits covered with short, stiff hairs. The 

bark of Pacific manzanita cracks and peels off, leaving the trunk a polished light tan. It 

is part of the north coast scrub community in two distinct, historically limited populations 

on San Bruno Mountain, San Mateo County. One is on private land and the other 

is within San Bruno Mountain County Park. The DFG has no recent information on the 

status of either occurrence. 

Previously, some botanists had believed Pacific manzanita to be a hybrid of 

bearberry (A. uva-ursi) and A. glandulosa. A recent taxonomic treatment of the genus 

Arctostaphylos consolidated Pacific manzanita with bearberry. However, more recent 

morphological and molecular work by researchers at San Francisco State University 

suggests that, although there are other problems with the name A. pacifica, the population 

containing what was originally described as Pacific manzanita is distinct from 

bearberry found elsewhere, and may indeed be a separate taxonomic entity. The DFG is 

considering proposing Pacific manzanita for delisting based on invalid taxonomy. 

The status in 1999 of Pacific manzanita: Unknown. 

Alameda manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos pallida) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - T (1998) 


Alameda manzanita, a member of the heath family (Ericaceae), is a tall, erect, 

evergreen shrub without a basal burl. It has branchlets with short, bristly hairs, thin, 

smooth, pale green leaves that clasp the stems, white flowers, and bright red fruits. This 

species occurs on east or south facing slopes in pure stands on somewhat sterile mineral 

soils. A member of the manzanita chaparral community, Alameda manzanita is found 

primarily at Sobrante Ridge Preserve and Huckleberry Preserve in Contra Costa and 

Alameda counties. This plant’s habitat has been lost primarily to residential develop- 

Pacific manzanita 

Alameda 

manzanita 


Marsh sandwort 

ment, and approximately 13 occurrences remain. However, all but three populations on 

East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) lands are so isolated and small that their longterm 

viability is questionable. 

EBRPD has purchased some small lots that are contiguous with existing park 

land and that support Alameda manzanita. EBRPD’s removal of non-native trees such as 

Monterey pine and eucalyptus also benefit the species. However, significant threats to 

the species include removal of the plants during construction of fuel breaks and the 

lack of a natural fire regime. Much of the species’ habitat is close to existing homes, and 

controlled burns in this intermix of residential development and wildland are difficult 

to conduct. An additional threat is loss of the plant’s habitat to the spread of periwinkle, 

Algerian ivy, and other landscape species from adjacent homes. 

The status in 1999 of Alameda manzanita: Stable to declining. 

Marsh sandwort 

(Arenaria paludicola) 

CA - E (1990) 

FED - E (1993) 

General Habitat: Marsh and Swamp 

Marsh sandwort is a perennial herb in the pink family (Caryophyllaceae). It has 

rooting, trailing stems and small white flowers which bloom from May through August. 

Historically, this species occurred in swamps, freshwater marshes, and other wet areas 

in widely disjunct localities in California and Washington. It occurred in four counties 

in the coastal region of Washington, as well as in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Luis 

Obispo, and San Bernardino counties in California. 

Despite thorough searches, no populations of marsh sandwort have been verified 

in Washington in recent years. Seven of the nine known California occurrences 

have been lost because the fresh water habitat in which they occurred was eliminated. 

Today, the distribution of this species is limited to two locations in San Luis Obispo 

County on the Nipomo Mesa, and one recently discovered population in Mendocino 

County. In San Luis Obispo County, one population is in Black Lake Canyon, and one 

population was rediscovered in 1998 at Oso Flaco Lake. Two of three historically documented 

locations in Black Lake Canyon no longer appear to support plants; one was last 

seen during the 1980s, one in the mid-1990s, and the last site was documented in the 

summer of 1997. Even when extant, all the sites supported only a few plants in a limited 

area. Encroachment of non-native eucalyptus trees and drilling of water wells in the 

immediate watershed of Black Lake Canyon are serious threats to the continued existence 

of this species. The population in Mendocino County is in a fairly inaccessible 

location in Inglenook Fen. 

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has acquired two acres in 

Black Lake Canyon which include the existing marsh sandwort site and one of the 

previously occupied marsh sandwort sites; they have prepared a management plan for 

the canyon which addresses marsh sandwort. In addition, TNC recently purchased a 

conservation easement in the Nipomo Dunes which includes a large dune lakes complex; 

this area, which has not been surveyed by botanists for half a century, will be 

surveyed to determine if other populations exist and if potential habitat is available for 

establishment of experimental populations of this species. Beginning in 1993, research 

into demography, general ecology, and recovery options was conducted by researchers 

from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Currently, cuttings of one plant have 

been propagated and are proposed to be planted into suitable habitat. In addition, 

researchers will attempt to recover seeds from the known occupied locations for 

propagation and planting. 

Protection measures for marsh sandwort are included in USFWS’s Recovery Plan 

for Marsh Sandwort (Arenaria paludicola) and Gambel’s watercress (Rorippa gambellii), 

completed in 1999. 

The status in 1999 of marsh sandwort: Declining. 


Humboldt milk-vetch 

(Astragalus agnicidus) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Mixed Evergreen Forest 

Humboldt milk-vetch, a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), is a low-shrubby 

perennial up to 3.5 feet tall, with hollow stems, divided leaves, and many small white 

flowers on a branched flower stalk. The known distribution consists of one occurrence 

of several small colonies on a private ranch south of Miranda in Humboldt County, and 

two populations discovered in 1999 on a ridge in the Jackson State Forest in Mendocino 

County. 

The milk-vetch was the target of a weed eradication effort during the 1920s 

when this reportedly toxic plant was implicated in the death of lambs on the ranch. 

Subsequently, the plant was not seen after 1954 and was presumed extinct for many 

years. Several attempts to relocate the plant during the 1970s were unsuccessful. In 1987, 

the species was rediscovered on the original ranch in Humboldt County. Dormant seeds 

which had persisted in the soil were stimulated by the opening of the tree canopy when 

a dead tree was felled and removed a few years earlier. 

Soon after rediscovery of the population on the ranch, the landowner agreed to 

voluntarily protect the plant in coordination with TNC and volunteers of CNPS. 

Portions of the population were fenced and monitored by TNC and CNPS volunteers. 

Results of monitoring have demonstrated that Humboldt milk-vetch is an early 

successional species with specific germination requirements. It requires frequent 

openings in the forest to allow germination and growth and is shade intolerant. Studies 

on this species have indicated that it is subject to inbreeding depression, but there is a 

persistent seed bank, presumed to be genetically diverse. 

Within the last few years, the forest canopy openings have contracted in size 

and, since no new openings have occurred, the population size of Humboldt milk-vetch 

has declined. TNC had been the primary leader in coordinating protection and 

monitoring on Humboldt milk-vetch for ten years. However, since 1998 the local 

chapter of CNPS is taking over the coordination of monitoring and protection activities. 

A new management plan is in preparation. No monitoring was conducted in 1999. The 

current landowner is one of the active cooperators protecting Humboldt milk-vetch. 

Two populations of Humboldt milk-vetch were discovered on a ridge in 1999 in 

the Jackson State Forest in Mendocino County during a survey for a Timber Harvest 

Plan. The species thrives in the canopy openings and edge habitats created by timber 

harvesting; the difficulty is to manage for both the vetch and timber harvesting 

effectively. 

The status in 1999 of Humboldt milk-vetch: Declining. 

Clara Hunt’s milk-vetch 

(Astragalus clarianus) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - E (1997) 



Clara Hunt’s milk-vetch is a small annual herb in the pea family (Fabaceae). The 

milk-vetch has up to nine leaflets per leaf and white, purple-tipped flowers which 

bloom in March and April. This species occurs in Napa and Sonoma counties on rocky 

clay soils in sparsely vegetated openings within blue oak woodland and grassland 

communities. There are five known occurrences of this plant. 

A large portion of one occurrence was accidentally buried in 1990 by dredge 

material which was subsequently removed, although plants have not been seen in the 

Humboldt 

milk-vetch 

Clara Hunt’s 

milk-vetch 


Long Valley 

milk-vetch 

Sodaville 

milk-vetch 

restored area. Forty-two plants were observed near this area in 1998, up from 9 in 1994. 

The second site, northeast of Santa Rosa, had 350 plants in 1997, 1100 plants in 1998, and 

7 plants in 1999, down from a recorded high of 4,500 in 1992. The third site, at Bothe/ 

Napa Valley State Park, had 30 plants in 1998. The fourth site, south of St. Helena, 

supported twice as many plants in 1998 as 1997; only a portion of these plants have been 

monitored each year and so the total is unknown. In 1997, a fifth population of 

approximately 60 plants was discovered in Napa County in an area proposed for 

vineyard expansion. The landowner agreed to a vineyard setback that will protect at 

least a portion of the plants, and in 1998, 290 plants were observed. Because this milkvetch 

is an annual plant with extremely small populations, sites could be eliminated 

through random fluctuations in population size from year to year or other chance 

events like drought or weed invasion. 

The status in 1999 of Clara Hunt’s milk-vetch: Stable to Declining. 

Long Valley milk-vetch 

(Astragalus johannis-howellii) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Great Basin Scrub 

Long Valley milk-vetch is a slender-stemmed, perennial herb in the pea family 

(Fabaceae) with divided yellow-green leaves and whitish, purple-veined flowers. It 

grows on sandy soils derived from volcanic ash and mixed alluvium in the sagebrush 

scrub. There are approximately 65 occurrences located in the Long Valley and Bodie 

Hills of Mono County. 

Most of the sites are subject to the effects of seasonal cattle grazing, although 

light to moderate grazing may not threaten this plant. Long Valley milk-vetch is found 

on BLM, USFS, and LADWP lands. The BLM prevents grazing of the occurrences during 

the peak growth period, and limits grazing during the rest of the year. The occurrences 

on BLM land are stable. 

The status in 1999 of Long Valley milk-vetch: Stable. 

Sodaville milk-vetch 

(Astragalus lentiginosus var. sesquimetralis) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Meadow and Seep 

Sodaville milk-vetch, a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), is a prostrate, 

perennial herb with divided leaves, an open inflorescence of purple flowers, and 

inflated, elongated seed pods. This species is restricted to moist, alkaline clay flats 

around desert seeps and springs. There is only one known occurrence in California at 

Big Sand Spring in Inyo County. Sodaville milk-vetch also occurs at two sites in Nevada. 

The California occurrence was formerly owned and managed by BLM, and is 

now within Death Valley National Park. Big Sand Spring remains within a cattle 

grazing allotment. The population was almost destroyed by feral burros and cattle 

before BLM erected established a 25-acre enclosure in 1985 to keep the animals from 

entering the site. The only milk-vetch plants remaining at that time were being 

protected by shrubs. Since the fence was erected, there have been problems with 

breaks, so an electric fence was added in 1997, which has improved the situation. Plants 

have started to recover and have spread back into parts of their former areas, both 

inside and outside the enclosure. Census data indicate milk-vetch plants have made a 

substantial comeback, from only 10 individuals in 1995 to 1,500 individuals in 1997 and 

3,000 in 1998. 


The status in 1999 of Sodaville milk-vetch: Increasing. 

Peirson’s milk-vetch 

(Astragalus magdalenae var. peirsonii) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - T (1998) 

General Habitat: Desert Dunes 

Peirson’s milk-vetch is a stout, herbaceous perennial that sprouts from a woody 

base, with leaves divided into numerous oval leaflets. This purple-flowered member of 

the pea family (Fabaceae) is covered with fine, silky hairs and produces inflated pods. In 

California, this plant occurs on sand dunes in the Algodones Dunes system of Imperial 

County. Historically, it was known from Borrego Valley in San Diego County and at a 

site southwest of the Salton Sea in Imperial County, but it has not been seen in these 

locations for years. Peirson’s milk-vetch also occurs in Baja California Norte and Sonora, 

Mexico. 

Recreational OHV activity has destroyed a portion of the vegetation in areas of 

the Algodones Dunes open to public use. A portion of the Algodones Dunes is been 

designated as the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness under the California Desert 

Protection Act and is closed to OHV activity. Approximately 75 percent of the dune 

system remains open to OHVs, however, which poses a major threat to the species. 

In 1998 and 1999 DFG staff collaborated with the BLM, CNPS, and the USFWS to 

conduct spring monitoring surveys for Peirson’s milk-vetch and four other plant species 

of concern on the Algodones Dunes in Imperial County. The purpose of the surveys is to 

establish and monitor transects across the dunes, both within the OHV open areas and 

the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness, for the presence and size of plant populations 

in those areas. 

The status in 1999 of Peirson’s milk-vetch: Declining. 

Mono milk-vetch 

(Astragalus monoensis= A. m. var. monoensis) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 


Mono milk-vetch is a small, prostrate, grayish perennial herb in the pea family 

(Fabaceae), with white to pale pink flowers in small clusters and curved, papery pods. 

Plants are covered by soft hairs and have leaves divided into several folded leaflets. This 

species is endemic to sagebrush scrub and Jeffrey pine-lodgepole pine forests of 

northern Mono County where it occurs on pumice flats in ashy to sandy soil. Most sites 

are located within the Inyo National Forest or on BLM land. 

There are approximately 25 known Mono milk-vetch occurrences, five of 

which occur on BLM land. Some sites are threatened by livestock grazing, however BLM 

manages grazing to avoid impacts to the species on its land. Researchers have stated that 

destruction of ground-dwelling bee pollinators by grazing animals could result in 

reduced reproduction levels for this species. OHV use has degraded habitat at some sites. 

The status in 1999 of Mono milk-vetch: Stable to Declining. 

Ventura marsh milk-vetch 

(Astragalus pycnostachys var. lanosissimus) 

CA - Candidate E (1999) CA-E (2000) 

FED - Proposed E (1999) 

Peirson’s 

milk-vetch 

Mono milk-vetch 


Coastal dunes 

milk-vetch 

General Habitat: Back Dune Habitat 

Coastal Meadows 

Near Coastal Salt Marshes 

Ventura marsh milk-vetch is a short-lived, herbaceous perennial in the pea 

family (Fabaceae), with dense clusters of small light yellow flowers. It has silvery white, 

pinnately compound leaves and flowers from June through October. Historically, 

Ventura marsh milk-vetch occurred in back dune habitat, coastal meadows and near 

coastal salt marshes from Ventura County to Orange County. Over the last century 

seven historical occurrences were known to exist. Ventura marsh milk-vetch was 

extirpated from these sites and was therefore thought to be extinct until it was 

rediscovered in June 1997 by a USFWS biologist at a proposed development site. It had 

only been seen twice in the last century. 

Today, only this one population of Ventura marsh milk-vetch is known to exist 

near the City of Oxnard, Ventura County, California, all within a 2,854 square feet area 

(less than 0.6 of an acre). The population occurs on disturbed coastal backdunes on fill 

material at a closed oil-waste dump site. Since 1997 between 192 and 374 Ventura marsh 

milk-vetch individuals have been observed at the site. Most of these individuals are 

seedlings or small juveniles. Southern California coastal wetland habitats have declined 

by 80-90 percent and those remaining are frequently degraded. Very little is known 

about the ecological requirements of this species. 

The only known population of Ventura marsh milk-vetch is threatened by 

predation and potential habitat modification and may be susceptible to alterations in its 

hydrologic regime and competition from non-native plant species. 

The DFG is working closely with the landowner, the USFWS and other 

interested parties to identify areas that may be suitable for introducing Ventura marsh 

milk-vetch as part of recovery for the species. Greenhouse studies on this species are 

ongoing, as well as research to learn more about the ecological requirements of this 

species. 

Note: Ventura marsh milkvetch was added to the State’s list of endangered 

species in April 2000, beyond the date of information included in this report. The 

USFWS and DFG reconvened a technical working group during the Fall of 2000 to 

continue to work on a recovery strategy for this species. The species’ status will be more 

thoroughly discussed in a subsequent report. 

Because of the extreme rarity and restricted nature of Ventura marsh milkvetch, 

the overall trend for Ventura marsh milk-vetch is one of decline to the brink of 

extinction. 

The Status in 1999 of Ventura marsh milk-vetch: Stable, but consisting 

of very low numbers at its only known occurrence. 

Coastal dunes milk-vetch 

(Astragalus tener var. titi) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1998) 

General Habitat: Coastal Dunes 

Coastal dunes milk-vetch is a low, dwarf annual plant in the pea family 

(Fabaceae). It has slender stems, leaves divided into wedge-like or oval leaflets, terminal 

clusters of purple flowers, and straight or curved pods. This plant grows in moist 

depressions on clay soils in coastal terrace grasslands and in coastal strand vegetation on 

sand dunes. 

Historically, coastal dunes milk-vetch was known from seven sites in Monterey, 

Los Angeles, and San Diego counties. Only one population, on the Monterey Peninsula, 

has been located in recent years, and numbers fluctuate greatly from year to year in 

response to local rainfall and competition with native and non-native species. The 

population is bisected by Seventeen-mile Drive and has two different owners. The 

inland side of the road is subject to golfing and equestrian activities, some of which are 


detrimental to the milk-vetch. In 1997, the DFG began cooperating with the landowner 

on the coast side of Seventeen-mile Drive to implement a recovery program based on 

recommendations from a federal Section 6 research project and a 1995 DFG recovery 

workshop. The program includes control of competing species such as cut-leaf plantain 

and pansa sedge. 

The status in 1999 of coastal dunes milk-vetch: Declining. 

Trask’s milk-vetch 

(Astragalus traskiae) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 

General habitat: Coastal Bluff Scrub 

Trask’s milk-vetch is a spreading perennial herb in the pea family (Fabaceae) 

with evergreen leaves divided into many oval leaflets, yellowish-white flowers in small 

clusters, and gently curved pods. The plants are covered with short hairs that give them 

a gray-green color. This species is restricted to Santa Barbara and San Nicolas Islands. 

On San Nicolas Island, Trask’s milk-vetch is widespread and abundant around 

the perimeter of the island, especially in sand dunes, sandy coastal flats, and on open 

sandstone slopes. It occurs mostly at elevations between 50 and 800 feet. The Navy’s 

Environmental Division reviews all land use plans and activities that may affect 

sensitive species. Surveys were conducted in 1992 to determine the distribution, habitat 

preference and population status of this species. Occurrences of this milk-vetch on 

Santa Barbara Island were intensively studied by Clark and Halvorson in the 1980s and 

they reported a severe decline in the populations due to drought and severe winter 

storms in 1988. The DFG has no recent data on this species. 

The status in 1999 of Trask’s milk-vetch: Unknown. 

Bakersfield Saltbush 

(Atriplex tularensis) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Chenopod Scrub 

Bakersfield saltbush, a member of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), is an 

erect, few-branched annual with a scaly surface on the stems, smooth ovate leaves, and 

small dense clusters of greenish flowers. The species historically occurred on the 

borders of alkali sinks and on alkaline plains in the vicinity of Weed Patch in southern 

Kern County south of Bakersfield along Highway 99. Five of the six historically known 

populations have been destroyed by agricultural conversion of the habitat. First 

collected in the 1890s, the species had not been seen since the 1930s until rediscovered in 

1983 at Kern Dry Lake. Since the discovery, the site had been leased and managed by 

TNC as the Kern Lake Preserve until the lease was discontinued by the private 

landowner. 

The plants at the one known location are threatened by land conversion and 

lowering of the water table. This latter threat was greatly exacerbated by a series of 

drought years from 1987-1992. Monitoring has revealed very low numbers of plants in 

the population: 89 (1986); four (1988); four (1989); one (1990); five (1991); and 0 (1992), the 

last date for which information is available. The identity of the plants at the site has 

been questioned, because plants collected in the area historically differ in appearance 

from those observed in the 1980s. One opinion is that the plants are hybrids of 

Bakersfield saltbush and bracted saltbush (A. serenana), which also grows in the area, and 

that pure Bakersfield saltbush no longer occurs. Another opinion is that A. tularensis, as 

originally described, was never a distinct species, but was an variant of bracted saltbush 

Trask’s milk-vetch 

Bakersfield 

saltbush 


Encinitas baccharis 

Bensoniella 

that only appeared in high rainfall years. USFWS is negotiating with the landowner to 

protect the site. Other protection measures for Bakersfield saltbush are included in 

USFWS’s 1998 Recovery Plan for Upland Species of the San Joaquin Valley, California. 

The status in 1999 of Bakersfield saltbush: Unknown or Possibly 

Extirpated. 

Encinitas baccharis 

(Baccharis vanessae) 

CA - R (1982); E (1987) 

FED - T (1996) 


Encinitas baccharis is a slender stemmed, dioecious shrub in the sunflower family 

(Asteraceae) that grows to a little over 3.5 feet tall. It has alternate leaves, reflexed floral 

bracts, and heads of whitish flowers. This plant occurs on steep slopes in the southern 

maritime chaparral communities of central San Diego County. It is known from fewer 

than 20 occurrences. 

This species has undergone rapid habitat loss due to residential development and 

agricultural conversion and decline continues. A portion of the range of Encinitas 

baccharis occurs within the San Diego MSCP area, and the Plan addresses protection of 

this species from development and human-related activities. This species is also covered 

in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company Subregional NCCP, a linear NCCP from 

Orange County to the Mexican Border. This species will also likely be covered in the 

San Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation Program NCCP to be finalized in the next few 

years. 

The status in 1999 of Encinitas baccharis: Declining. 

Bensoniella 

(Bensoniella oregona) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 


Meadow and Seep 

Bensoniella is a perennial herb with basal, heart-shaped leaves, unbranched 

flowering stems, and small, saucer-shaped flowers with vivid orange anthers. This 

member of the saxifrage family (Saxifragaceae) is found only in Humboldt County in 

California and in Curry and Josephine counties in Oregon’s Siskiyou Mountains. 

Bensoniella grows in the margins of moist, grassy meadows and in small openings in 

evergreen forests. Of the four recently observed California occurrences, three are 

found on private land, and one occurs on Six Rivers National Forest. 

Some bensoniella populations have been damaged by cattle grazing, which 

appears to be the greatest threat to the species. The habitat on Six Rivers National Forest 

has been degraded by sedimentation, and is also threatened by channel bank erosion, 

increased exposure to light resulting from timber harvesting on adjacent land, and the 

removal of woody debris by firewood gatherers. 

The status in 1999 of bensoniella: Declining. 


Nevin’s barberry 

(Berberis nevinii) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - E (1998) 


Coastal Scrub 

Nevin’s barberry is a blue-green evergreen shrub in the barberry family 

(Berberidaceae). It has prickly compound leaves and yellow flowers that produce round 

yellow-red berries. This species occurs in coastal sage scrub, alluvial scrub, and chaparral 

communities in the margins of dry washes in the foothills of the Transverse and 

Peninsular ranges. Plants are found growing on either steep north-facing slopes or low 

grade sandy washes. Although once more widespread, the present day range of Nevin’s 

barberry includes less than 30 occurrences in portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, 

and Riverside counties. Ten of these are single plants last seen in the 1980s; seven are 

occurrences of less than ten plants last seen in the 1970s or 1980s; three are plantings; 

and the largest is 134 plants, last seen in 1987. 

Loss of habitat continues to be a major threat to this species. Of great concern is 

the lack of reproduction and recruitment at most sites, and the very low number of 

individuals at most populations. Viable seed has been obtained from some populations 

and successfully grown in botanical gardens, but establishment in the wild appears 

limited. This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan 

NCCP. It is also covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company Subregional NCCP, a 

linear NCCP from Orange County to the Mexican Border. 

The status in 1999 of Nevin’s barberry: Declining. 

Island barberry 

(Berberis pinnata ssp. insularis) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - FE (1997) 

General Habitat: Closed-cone Conifer Forest 


Coastal Scrub 

Island barberry is an evergreen shrub in the barberry family (Berberidaceae). 

The plants have glossy, divided leaves, yellow flowers, and blue berries. The species can 

sprout new shoots from underground rhizomes, indicating that many stems may 

actually represent one genetic clone. This endemic barberry was historically known 

from three of the Channel Islands: West Anacapa, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. It grows 

in closed-cone pine forest, coastal chaparral, and coastal sage scrub communities. Today, 

only three small populations on Santa Cruz Island are known to exist. Despite repeated 

surveys, no plants have been found on Santa Rosa Island in recent years. The species is 

believed to be extirpated on Anacapa Island; the one clone located there was found to 

have died as of 1994. 

Island Barberry is threatened by soil loss and habitat alteration caused by rooting 

of feral pigs. In the wild, no signs of successful reproduction have been found. Of the 

three Santa Cruz Island populations, the Diablo Peak occurrence has 24 large stems and 

75 small stems; this may represent one or several clonal individuals. The Campo Raton 

occurrence was recently examined, and only two individuals were located. The Hazard 

Canyon population, which hadn’t been seen for 15 years, was just relocated and it 

appears to be vigorous. The USFWS completed a recovery plan for island barberry and 

twelve other island plants in 1999. 

The status in 1999 of Island barberry: Unknown. 

Nevin’s barberry 

Island barberry 


Point Reyes 

blennosperma 

Sonoma sunshine 

(Blennosperma bakeri) 

CA - E (1992) 

FED - E (1991) 

General Habitat: Vernal Pools 

Sonoma sunshine is a small, annual herb in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) 

with yellow, daisy-like flowers that bloom during February through April. The yellow 

disk flowers bear white pollen and stigmas, and sterile ray flowers produce red stigmas, 

a character that separates Sonoma sunshine from other members of this genus. 

Sonoma sunshine is a California endemic, restricted to vernal pools, shallow 

depressions, and intermittent swales on the Santa Rosa Plain and the adjacent Sonoma 

Valley of Sonoma County. At the DFG’s Laguna de Santa Rosa Ecological Reserve, 

Sonoma sunshine occurs with two other State and federally listed endangered plant 

species: Burke’s goldfields (Lasthenia burkei) and Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes 

vinculans). 

At least 30 percent of the historic occurrences of Sonoma sunshine have been 

eliminated or seriously damaged, and most of the remaining sites are threatened with 

urbanization, irrigation with wastewater effluent, and conversion of habitat to 

agricultural lands. At least two of five known occurrences of Sonoma sunshine in the 

Sonoma Valley have been extirpated. Westward expansion of the City of Santa Rosa 

threatens 50 to 70 percent of the remaining Sonoma sunshine habitat. An occurrence 

has been preserved at the Southwest Santa Rosa vernal pool mitigation bank. The DFG 

has been coordinating with the County and the City, as well as with other agencies, 

private landowners and concerned citizens to protect vernal pools and associated 

endangered plants in the area since 1989. In 1998, the USFWS completed a 

programmatic consultation, which streamlines the development permitting process. 

Protection measures for this species are expected to be included in USFWS’s Draft 

California Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan. 

The status in 1999 of Sonoma sunshine: Declining. 

Point Reyes blennosperma 

(Blennosperma nanum var. robustum) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - None 


Coastal Scrub 

Point Reyes blennosperma, a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), is a 

yellow-flowered annual herb with hollow, sprawling stems. Plants occur mostly on 

sandy soils in the coastal prairie habitat of the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County, 

where there are approximately a dozen populations within Point Reyes National 

Seashore; one of these is being encroached upon by iceplant. One population occurs in 

Mendocino County in north coast bluff scrub overlying sand dunes. This population is 

entirely on private land; its status is unknown. 

The status in 1999 of Point Reyes blennosperma: Unknown. 


Dwarf golden star 

(Bloomeria humilis) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - None 


Chaparral 


Dwarf golden star is a perennial herb in the lily family (Liliaceae) with an 

umbrella-shaped cluster of bright golden flowers on thin, thread-like stalks. It grows 

from an underground bulb, and produces one or two linear leaves. It occurs in coastal 

prairie and chaparral communities on open mesas and ocean bluffs in the Arroyo de la 

Cruz area of San Luis Obispo County, which contains a large ensemble of rare plants. 

Associated State-listed species include the rare Hearst’s ceanothus (Ceanothus hearstiorum) 

and maritime ceanothus (Ceanothus maritimus), as well as the endangered Hearst’s 

manzanita (Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. hearstiorum). 

Only two known occurrences of dwarf golden star are known to exist. There 

may be only about 2,000 total plants within a 10 square mile area; this is the total extent 

of this plant. Both known populations occur on the Hearst Ranch on land used 

primarily for cattle grazing. No surveys of the plants have been conducted in at least ten 

years, to DFG’s knowledge. With so few plants in existence, its continued viability is 

considered precarious. 

The status in 1999 of dwarf golden star: Unknown. 

Indian Valley Brodiaea 

(Brodiaea coronaria ssp. rosea) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 


Indian Valley brodiaea produces long, linear leaves from a perennial corm. This 

member of the lily family (Liliaceae) also produces rosy pink flowers on a leafless 

flowering stem. Populations are restricted to serpentine clay and gravel in open areas 

along creeks, meadows and flood terraces, and gravel banks of ephemeral creeks. This 

subspecies often occurs with other rare serpentine plants. 

Historically, Indian Valley brodiaea was known from Lake, Colusa, and Glenn 

counties. Collections from Tehama County are believed to be erroneous. The filling of 

Indian Valley Reservoir in 1975 eliminated much of the historic habitat for this species. 

A portion of the population’s occupied habitat in Glenn County is used as a local dump. 

BLM has established the Indian Valley Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) 

and Research Natural Area Management Plan to protect and enhance 40 acres of 

existing Indian Valley brodiaea habitat on their land. 

The status in 1999 of Indian Valley brodiaea: Declining. 

Thread-leaved brodiaea 

(Brodiaea filifolia) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - T (1998) 


Vernal pools 

Thread-leaved brodiaea, a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), produces several 

Dwarf golden 

star 

Indian Valley 

brodiaea 

Thread-leaved 

brodiaea 


Kaweah brodiaea 

linear leaves from an underground corm and a leafless flowering stalk bearing blue to 

red-purple flowers. This species occurs on heavy soils in open grasslands, at the edges of 

vernal pools, in flood plains, and at the edge of hot springs (at Arrowhead Hot Springs). 

Thread-leaved brodiaea occurs in a few scattered localities within Los Angeles, Orange, 

western Riverside, and northwestern San Diego counties. The type locality at 

Arrowhead Hot Springs was recently rediscovered. 

Thread-leaved brodiaea is known from approximately 25 to 30 occurrences, 

many of which are threatened by continuing residential and commercial development 

in Southern California. A number of habitat occurrences for the species have been lost 

in the past decade in northwestern San Diego County. Proposed residential/commercial 

developments in San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties threaten additional 

populations. Small populations of the species occur on the DFG’s lands at the San 

Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County and Carlsbad Highlands in San Diego County. 

A significant population occurs on TNC’s Santa Rosa Plateau in western Riverside 

County and a small population occurs in Aliso-Wood Canyons Regional Park in Orange 

County. A few efforts have been made to translocate populations of thread-leaved 

brodiaea that occurred in areas approved for development to new areas of presumably 

suitable but unoccupied habitat. Several of these have failed. The others are ongoing, 

and it will be several years before their outcome can be reasonably assessed. This species 

is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan NCCP. It is also covered 

in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company Subregional NCCP, a linear NCCP from 

Orange County to the Mexican Border. In addition, it will likely be covered in the San 

Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation Program NCCP to be finalized in the next few 

years. 

The species has been observed to hybridize with Orcutt’s brodiaea in the 

southwestern San Bernardino Mountains. Hybridization is facilitated by cross 

pollination from non-native honey bees. Studies on the biology of thread-leaved 

brodiaea are needed before adequate recovery strategies can be developed for this 

species. 

The status in 1999 of thread-leaved brodiaea: Declining. 

Kaweah brodiaea 

(Brodiaea insignis) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 



Kaweah brodiaea is a showy, herbaceous perennial in the lily family (Liliaceae). 

From a fibrous corm, it produces several linear leaves which are crescent-shaped in 

cross-section, and a leafless stalk topped by a cluster of rose-purple to pink tubular 

flowers. It forms pink carpets in May and June within blue oak savannahs. This species 

is endemic to the Kaweah and Tule rivers’ drainages in Tulare County, where it grows 

on granitic substrates and deep, clayey soils on south- and southwest-facing slopes. 

Fewer than 25 extant populations are known, of which 90 percent are on private land 

or roadsides. Populations occur at the DFG’s Kaweah and Blue Ridge Ecological Reserves, 

Sequoia National Forest, CALTRANS rights-of-way, and private property. 

Residential development, roadside maintenance activities, road widening, and 

livestock activities threaten Kaweah brodiaea. The number of flowering plants appears 

to vary greatly from year to year, and at least some amount of grazing appears to 

benefit the species by reducing competition by nonnative weeds. 

The status in 1999 of Kaweah brodiaea: Unknown. 


Chinese Camp brodiaea 

(Brodiaea pallida) 

CA - E (1978) 

FED - T (1998) 


Chinese Camp brodiaea is an herbaceous perennial in the lily family (Liliaceae). 

It forms an underground corm, linear basal leaves, and terminal clusters of rose pink to 

pale blue flowers. This species is confined to one occurrence southwest of Chinese 

Camp in Tuolumne County. It grows along a shallow, intermittent stream in clay 

derived from serpentine. 

Chinese Camp brodiaea is restricted to a narrow 10 to 20 foot-wide area along a 

half mile-long section of an intermittent stream entirely on private property. 

Occasional hybrids between Chinese camp brodiaea and a more common brodiaea 

from the area, Brodiaea elegans, have been observed. A portion of the population was 

destroyed prior to 1982. A subdivision has been proposed for the area that includes the 

Chinese Camp brodiaea population, which could disturb the hydrology upon which the 

species depends or increase disturbance from human activities, even if the plants are not 

directly affected by construction activities. In addition, species such as Chinese Camp 

brodiaea, that have very small populations and occupy only small areas, are vulnerable 

to decline and extinction due to genetic problems or random catastrophic events such as 

disease outbreaks, insect predation, or extended droughts. In 1994 a private landowner 

expressed interest in selling his Chinese Camp brodiaea habitat to the DFG, but after 

lengthy negotiations, no agreement was reached. A very small portion of the 

population along a road has been fenced and is being leased by CNPS in order to protect 

the plants. 

The status in 1999 of Chinese Camp brodiaea: Stable. 

Leafy reed grass 

(Calamagrostis foliosa) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Leafy reed grass is a low-growing, tufted perennial member of the grass family 

(Poaceae) with compact, densely flowered inflorescences. It is an early successional 

species found on rocky coastal bluffs, in riparian habitats and cliff slopes, and on steep 

roadcuts in Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties. It occurs on low nutrient, 

low moisture substrates which are unstable and eroding. There are more than 30 

occurrences of leafy reed grass, two-thirds of which are in BLM’s King Range National 

Conservation Area. Other occurrences are in State parks and on private lands. Most 

extant leafy reed grass occurrences are inaccessible to livestock and humans, though a 

few may be subject to development. DFG has no recent information on its status. 

The status in 1999 of leafy reed grass: Unknown. 

Dunn’s mariposa lily 

(Calochortus dunnii) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Chaparral 

Dunn’s mariposa lily is an herbaceous perennial of the lily family (Liliaceae) that 

Chinese Camp 

brodiaea 

Leafy reed grass 

Dunn’s mariposa 

lily 


Siskiyou mariposa 

lily 

Tiburon mariposa 

lily 

sprouts from a bulb. It has slender basal leaves, short stem leaves, and showy, bell-shaped 

white to pink flowers with a red spot at each petal’s base. This species is known only 

from the mountains of San Diego County and adjacent Baja California Norte, Mexico. It 

grows on dry, stony ridges and in open areas of the chaparral and yellow pine forests. 

Occurrences of Dunn’s mariposa lily appear to be restricted to gabbroic and 

metavolcanic soils, and property ownership of its habitat includes the Cleveland 

National Forest, BLM, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, and private property owners. 

Approximately 20 occurrences of Dunn’s mariposa lily are known, some of 

which are small populations of only a few plants. Threats to this showy plant include 

flower picking, as well as digging and removal of bulbs by bulb collectors. Several 

populations are adjacent to heavily used outdoor recreation areas and may need to be 

fenced to provide adequate protection for the plants. Recent proposals have been 

developed for introduction of non-native wild turkeys into the range of Dunn’s 

mariposa lily. Potential impacts of turkey introductions on the growth and 

reproduction of small populations of Dunn’s mariposa lily will be assessed. The diet of 

wild turkeys in other parts of California where they have been introduced included 

related species of mariposa lilies. Studies of the biology of Dunn’s mariposa lily are 

needed before adequate recovery or management plans for Dunn’s mariposa lily can be 

completed. This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan 



The status in 1999 of Dunn’s mariposa lily: Stable to Declining. 

Siskiyou mariposa lily 

(Calochortus persistens) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Mixed Conifer Forest 

Siskiyou mariposa lily is an herbaceous perennial that arises from a bulb, with 

slender basal leaves, reduced stem leaves, and one or two striking lavender and yellow 

flowers. This showy member of the lily family (Liliaceae) is found on metavolcanic 

rock outcrops with very dry, shallow, well drained soils, growing in open areas near 

Gunsight Peak in the Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County. 

In 1994, the Klamath National Forest adopted management guidelines for the 

entire habitat of all occurrences of Siskiyou mariposa lily. Near the summit of Gunsight 

Peak, the habitat has been disturbed by structures and access roads for radio repeater 

stations. Maintenance and further construction around these facilities may pose 

additional threats; however, USFS is managing all activities on this peak to minimize 

impacts to the lily. Weed control efforts are implemented periodically on Gunsight 

Peak as funding permits. Deer browsing and insect damage to floral buds and fruits may 

be damaging the population, but it is difficult to assess their impact as the populations 

vary widely in size from year to year. Further studies and monitoring are needed to 

assess impacts from deer, insects, and weeds on the long-term stability of Siskiyou 

mariposa lily. 

The status in 1999 of Siskiyou mariposa lily: Stable. 

Tiburon mariposa lily 

(Calochortus tiburonensis) 

CA - E (1978); T (1987) 

FED - T (1995) 


Tiburon mariposa lily is a bulb-forming, perennial herb in the lily family 


(Liliaceae) with long, narrow basal leaves and late-blooming, greenish-brown flowers. 

This lily was discovered on the Tiburon Peninsula of Marin County in 1972 and is 

known only from a serpentine grassland on Ring Mountain. Its distribution 

encompasses roughly three populations, all of which occur in the Ring Mountain 

Preserve. The Marin County Department of Parks, Open Space, and Cultural Services 

owns and manages the Preserve. 

In 1997, the DFG held two recovery workshops to address Tiburon mariposa lily 

and 11 other plants known from serpentine habitats in the San Francisco Bay Area. At 

one workshop, a graduate student reported on her research showing that the Tiburon 

mariposa lily’s reproduction is highly dependent on its presumed primary pollinator, the 

bumblebee, so management activities that would affect the bee would also affect the 

plant. The highest priority recovery action for the plant identified by workshop 

participants is research into appropriate management practices to reduce competition 

from weedy species and to maintain high quality habitat. 

Management and recovery actions for Tiburon mariposa lily have been 

addressed in the federal Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay 

Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Tiburon mariposa lily: Stable. 

Stebbins’ morning glory 

(Calystegia stebbinsii) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - E (1996) 


Stebbins’ morning glory is a perennial, herbaceous vine with long slender stems, 

deeply divided leaves, and large, funnel-shaped, white flowers. This member of the 

morning glory family (Convolvulaceae) grows on red clay soils of the Pine Hill gabbro 

formation in the Sierra Nevada foothills of El Dorado County and on serpentine soils 

near Grass Valley in Nevada County. In El Dorado County, Stebbins’ morning glory is 

often associated with two other state listed plants: Pine Hill ceanothus (Ceanothus 

roderickii) and Layne’s butter-weed (Senecio layneae). The Pine Hill formation consists of 

approximately 30,000 acres, approximately half of which contains the habitat types 

that support these rare species. 

In the southern half of the Pine Hill gabbro formation, residential development 

has occurred in unsurveyed habitat near known colonies of the morning glory. These 

projects went through the development approval process before El Dorado County was 

aware of these species. Potential habitat near known colonies has also been cleared 

under ministerial grading permits. 

The first phase of purchasing a 315-acre site in western El Dorado County, 

containing four State and federally listed plant species was completed in November of 

1997, through a combination of federal, State, and local funding. This preserve is being 

established to protect Stebbins’ morning glory, Pine Hill ceanothus (Ceanothus roderickii), 

Layne’s butterweed (Senecio layneae), and El Dorado bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. 

sierrae). This preserve, when complete, will also include a large of number species which 

are considered endemic to or characteristic of gabbroic and serpentine soils, including El 

Dorado mule ears (Wyethia reticulata), which is only found in the gabbro soil in western 

El Dorado County. The 315-acre preserve is one unit of a planned five-unit preserve 

system that is expected to total 3,400 acres. Approximately half of this area consists of 

existing public lands. The other four units will be expanding around existing public 

lands, if private landowners are willing to sell or dedicate title or conservation 

easements and if the program continues to receive support from local public agencies. 

In the northern half of the gabbro soil formation, approximately 250 acres have 

been purchased and transferred to the DFG. This area includes a population of Stebbins’ 

morning glory. A prescribed fire on nearby property held by BLM appears to have 

rejuvenated a dwindling population on that site. 

The USFWS released the Draft Recovery Plan for Gabbro Soil Plants of the Central 

Stebbins’ morning 

glory 


White sedge 

Tompkins’ sedge 

Sierra Nevada Foothills in 1998 that addresses recovery needs for Stebbins’ morning glory. 

The status in 1999 of Stebbins’ morning glory: Declining. 

White sedge 

(Carex albida) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1997) 


White sedge, a member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae), is a short, tufted, grasslike 

perennial herb with erect stems that sprout from a creeping rhizome, flattened 

leaves, and flowers in dense terminal spikes. This species is restricted to moist sites 

adjacent to freshwater marshes and creeks in Sonoma County. Historically, only five 

occurrences were reported. White sedge historically grew with two other State listed 

endangered plants: Pitkin Marsh lily (Lilium pitkinense) and Pitkin Marsh Indian 

paintbrush (Castilleja uliginosa). 

Habitat conversion has eliminated four of the historic white sedge occurrences 

from other Sonoma County freshwater marshes. Pitkin Marsh is the only extant 

habitat, though the most recent documentation of white sedge is from 1988. This site is 

subject to persistent development pressures. Any change in the hydrology of the marsh, 

including draining, could eliminate the white sedge and other rare plant species there. 

All of the marsh habitat is privately owned. 

The status in 1999 of white sedge: Unknown. 

Tompkins’ sedge 

(Carex tompkinsii) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 



Lower Montane Conifer Forest 

Upper Montane Conifer Forest 

Tompkins’ sedge, a member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae), is a perennial, 

densely-tufted, grass-like herb. It grows in soils derived from metamorphic or granitic 

rock in the Sierra Nevada in the Kings River Canyon in Fresno County and the Merced 

River Canyon in Mariposa County. It grows not only on steep, dry, south-facing rocky 

slopes, but also on shady, mesic, north-facing slopes, and occasionally in moist riparian 

areas. Fires reduce competition and appear to invigorate Tompkins’ sedge plants. Most 

occurrences are on public land within Sequoia and Sierra National Forests and Kings 

Canyon and Yosemite National Parks. 

Many additional populations have been discovered since Tompkins’ sedge was 

State-listed in 1979, and the species is now known to occur in a wider variety of habitat 

types than originally thought. Some roadside populations are threatened by road 

maintenance, highway improvement, flooding, and emergency repairs of flood 

damage. 

The relocation of NPS employee housing to outside of Yosemite Valley 

threatens some populations. In 1997, the species was reported from the Hetch Hetchy 

area in the Tuolumne River Canyon, and two new occurrences were discovered in 

Stanislaus National Forest in the area burned by the Ackerson Fire in 1996. Additionally, 

plants were transplanted along Highway 180 in the Kings River Canyon in Sequoia 

National Forest to serve as a seed source for revegetation efforts; the highway was 

damaged by flooding in January 1997. In 1998, the Forest Service removed this species 

from its Sensitive Species list because new populations have been discovered and 


ecause most plants grow in areas unlikely to experience human impacts. 

The status in 1999 of Tompkins’ sedge: Increasing. 

Tree-anemone 

(Carpenteria californica) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - None 


Chaparral 

Tree-anemone, a member of the mock orange family (Philadelphaceae), is an 

erect to spreading evergreen shrub that grows to a height of three to 13 feet. It has glossy 

green leaves and pale bark that peels in large sheets in the fall. It has large and showy 

flowers with white petals and yellow centers. Tree-anemone is an extremely localized 

endemic species that occurs only about 30 miles northeast of Fresno in eastern Fresno 

County and in one small population nearby in Madera County. It grows on well-drained 

granitic soils and is most abundant on north-facing ravines and drainages in chaparral 

and cismontane woodland communities. The total range of the species covers an area 

of approximately 225 square miles, within which there are six extant native 

populations. Tree-anemone appears to require specific conditions for successful sexual 

reproduction. No seed germination or seedling establishment in nature had ever been 

observed until 1990 when germination occurred following the 1989 Powerhouse fire. 

Fire appears to be an important ecological requirement of this species. Burned treeanemone 

plants can resprout vigorously, and fires reduce competition from native 

shrubs and trees. Sierra National Forest is considering using prescribed burning to 

conserve tree-anemone, and USFS and USFWS staff are investigating incorporating a 

prescribed burn plan into a habitat conservation agreement or recovery plan. 

About two-thirds of the extant tree-anemones occur on the Sierra National 

Forest and a third on private land. It has been estimated that since the species was 

discovered in the 1840s, at least one-third of its distribution has been destroyed. Treeanemone 

is threatened by residential development, fire suppression and fire at the 

wrong time of year, highway construction, OHV use, road maintenance, hydroelectric 

operations, and logging. USFS has established a Carpenteria Botanical Area that includes 

a portion of the largest tree-anemone occurrence, and its Backbone Creek Research 

Natural Area supports another population. A portion of a tree-anemone population is 

protected on the Black Mountain Preserve that was transferred from TNC to the Sierra 

Foothill Conservancy in 1997. Also in 1997, the Preserve was expanded through the 

addition of a conservation easement. In 1997, the small population was discovered in 

Madera County. 

The status in 1999 of tree-anemone: Stable. 

Tiburon Indian paintbrush 

(Castilleja affinis ssp. neglecta) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - E (1995) 


Tiburon Indian paintbrush is a perennial herb in the figwort family 

(Scrophulariaceae) with woody basal stems, narrow lobed leaves, and showy yellow to 

red-yellow flowers that appear from March through June. It is a root hemiparasite, 

meaning its roots develop interconnections with the roots of other plants to increase 

water and nutrient flow. Tiburon Indian paintbrush is endemic to serpentine-derived 

soils on south to west-facing slopes within native bunchgrass communities. 

There are seven known occurrences of the plant. Three occur on the Tiburon Peninsula 

Tiburon Indian 

paintbrush 


Succulent 

owl’s-clover 

in Marin County, with a total of approximately 250 plants in 1997. A portion of one of 

these three populations was recently destroyed by a residential development, and a 

portion of the plants formerly seen at a second population have not been observed in 

recent years. A bond issue that passed in 1997 allowed the purchase for open space of a 

parcel upslope from this latter population. Because the plants grow on thin, lownutrient 

soils, preservation of this parcel was considered critical to protecting the 

Tiburon Indian paintbrush, as runoff containing herbicides and fertilizers from any 

homes built upslope could have eliminated the population. The Middle Ridge 

population on the Tiburon Peninsula may be impacted by human use (hiking and dog 

walking) in the area. 

Approximately 550 plants occur at a private quarry in American Canyon in 

Napa County. Two sites, with a total of approximately 75 plants, occur on Golden Gate 

National Recreation Area lands in Marin County. One population exists on private land 

in Santa Clara County. A portion of this population has disappeared since 1993, possibly 

due to rooting by wild pigs, which was evident in 1999. Approximately 80 plants were 

observed at this location in 1999. 

In 1997, the DFG held two recovery workshops to address Tiburon Indian 

paintbrush and 11 other plants known from serpentine habitats in the San Francisco 

Bay Area. Several participants volunteered to work to remove pampas grass and broom 

plants that are threatening the Tiburon Peninsula populations. Priority recovery 

actions identified by workshop participants included research into the management 

needs of the plant and protecting the populations on private lands. 

Management and recovery actions for the species have been addressed in the 

USFWS’s 1998 Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area. 

The status in 1999 of Tiburon Indian paintbrush: Stable. 

Succulent owl’s-clover 

(Castilleja campestris ssp. succulenta) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - T (1997) 


Succulent owl’s-clover is a succulent, hemiparasitic (partly parasitic) annual herb 

in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). It has brittle narrow leaves and heads of 

bright yellow flowers. This species grows in drying vernal pools in valley grassland 

areas of the San Joaquin Valley at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Its 

discontinuous distribution extends through northern Fresno, western Madera, eastern 

Merced, southeastern San Joaquin, and Stanislaus counties. Thirty-two of the 35 extant 

populations occur on privately owned land. Succulent owl’s-clover occurs in a few 

vernal pools on Big Table Mountain near Friant in Fresno County on land owned by the 

DFG and BLM. It also occurs in a vernal pool complex in Madera County owned by 

CALTRANS. One population occurs on land owned by BOR near the Madera 

Equalization Reservoir in Madera County. Seven privately owned populations occur on 

the Flying M Ranch in Merced County, portions over which TNC has a conservation 

easement. Two small occurrences were found in 1997 at the old Castle Air Force Base in 

Merced County. 

Conversion of habitat to agriculture, urbanization, proposed gravel and 

aggregate mining, land fills, flood control, highway expansion, discing of vernal pools, 

competition from non-native weeds, and inappropriate grazing practices have all been 

cited as threats to succulent owl’s clover. The type-locality of the species near Ryer in 

Merced County has been destroyed. 

In 1992, the DFG purchased land on Big Table Mountain in Fresno County that 

supports succulent owl’s-clover. In 1995, CALTRANS purchased a vernal pool complex 

in Madera County for mitigation purposes. Just prior to their acquisition by 

CALTRANS, the pools had been disced. As a result of this disturbance, these pools have 

been invaded by upland plants, but they still support succulent owl’s-clover and other 

rare species. In 1995, a USFWS/DFG-funded habitat characterization study of San 


Joaquin Valley vernal pools was completed. This study included vernal pools in which 

succulent owl’s-clover occurs. Protection measures for this species are expected to be 

included in USFWS’s Draft California Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan. 

The status in 1999 of succulent owl’s-clover: Declining. 

Mount Gleason Indian paintbrush 

(Castilleja gleasonii) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 


Mount Gleason Indian paintbrush is a grayish, hairy perennial herb with scarlet 

flowers in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). It occurs on open flats or slopes in the 

granitic soils of ponderosa pine forests and montane chaparral plant communities in the 

San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County. There are six known occurrences near 

Mount Gleason in the Angeles National Forest. In 1997, a seventh occurrence was 

discovered in the Forest within the Knapp Ranch area, and in 1998, two additional 

occurrences were found in the Forest. 

Threats to Mount Gleason Indian paintbrush have included illegal OHV use, foot 

traffic associated with campgrounds found within the plant’s habitat, grazing, and 

timber harvest activities. DFG has no recent information on the status of species as a 

whole. 

The status in 1999 of Mount Gleason Indian paintbrush: Unknown. 

San Clemente Island Indian paintbrush 

(Castilleja grisea) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1977) 


San Clemente Island Indian paintbrush is a branched perennial herb in the 

figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). Plants are covered with matted hairs and produce 

elongated flower stalks of yellow flowers. This paintbrush grows in maritime desert 

scrub on the rocky slopes and canyons of San Clemente Island. Forty-four populations 

are scattered around the island, and about half contain fewer than 10 individuals. The 

DFG has no current information on the status of this species. 

The status in 1999 of San Clemente Island Indian paintbrush: Unknown. 

Pitkin Marsh Indian paintbrush 

(Castilleja uliginosa) 

CA - E (1978) 

FED - None 


Pitkin Marsh Indian paintbrush is an herbaceous perennial in the figwort family 

(Scrophulariaceae). This extremely rare plant produces several unbranched stems with 

simple hairs and a spike of yellow flowers. Historically, it was restricted to the wet 

marsh habitat of upper Pitkin Marsh, Sonoma County. Reports in the 1950s suggest there 

was a larger population scattered throughout the area. Loss of marsh habitat has greatly 

reduced the distribution of this species. Since the late 1970s, only a single plant remains 

in the wild. Pitkin Marsh Indian paintbrush occurs with two other State listed 

Mount Gleason 

Indian paintbrush 

San Clemente 

Island Indian 

paintbrush 

Pitkin Marsh 

Indian paintbrush 


California 

jewelflower 

endangered plants at Pitkin Marsh, which is privately owned: Pitkin Marsh lily (Lilium 

pitkinense) and white sedge (Carex albida). 

Pitkin Marsh Indian paintbrush requires two plants for pollination, so the single 

known plant cannot reproduce. Under a MOU with the DFG, the Jepson Herbarium 

developed tissue cultures and other vegetative propagation techniques to increase 

Pitkin March Indian paintbrush numbers. In addition, researchers have successfully 

hybridized and backcrossed the paintbrush with related species. In recent years, DFG 

personnel have not been allowed access to cut back competing vegetation or monitor 

the health of the single, fenced individual. This last wild plant is probably already gone. 

In order to properly manage the habitat, protection of the current hydrology and 

control of competing vegetation will be necessary. 

In late 1996, the DFG, Jepson Herbarium, and other interested parties met to 

develop a conservation strategy for this species. The conservation strategy includes a 

possible reintroduction project, which would depend on the success of producing more 

plants for reintroduction and would depend on a successful arrangement with the 

landowner. 

The status in 1999 of Pitkin Marsh Indian paintbrush: Declining, 

possibly extirpated. 

California jewelflower 

(Caulanthus californicus) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - E (1990) 



California jewelflower, a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), is an 

herbaceous annual that branches from the base, with upper leaves clasping the 

succulent stems, and purple-tipped (white upon opening) flowers arranged along one 

side of the stem. This species occurred historically in slightly alkaline sandy loam in 

native grasslands of the southern San Joaquin Valley and adjacent valleys. Its range 

once included Fresno, Kern, Kings, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Tulare counties, 

but now it is known only from occurrences on the western edge of its range in Santa 

Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Fresno counties. 

Loss of habitat as a result of conversion for agriculture or grazing has nearly 

eliminated this species from its native range. California jewelflower is now found in 

only three locales: the hills of southwestern Fresno County, the Carrizo Plain in eastern 

San Luis Obispo County, and farther south, in the Cuyama Valley of Santa Barbara 

County. The populations in Fresno County, owned by BLM, contain only a few 

hundred plants. The Carrizo Plain population is on public lands managed as part of the 

Carrizo Plain Natural Area, a cooperative effort between BLM, TNC, and the DFG. The 

Cuyama Valley population consists of 19 known sites west of the Cuyama River, both 

north and south of Santa Barbara Canyon. BLM owns seven of these 19 sites and has 

fenced them to protect them from unauthorized grazing. The remaining 12 sites are on 

private land. 

While grazing can result in direct predation of California jewelflower, another 

major threat to California jewelflower is competition from non-native, annual grasses. 

On the Carrizo Plain, California jewelflower frequently occurs on precincts of the 

State- and federally-listed endangered Giant Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ingens). Although 

the kangaroo rats kill some of the jewelflowers, the rat’s activities appear to reduce 

mulch and non-native seeds within their precincts, especially during the dry season, 

which may promote jewelflower the following year. 

Several experimental introductions of California jewelflower have been 

attempted in the last few years. In all instances, the number of plants at each site has 

declined precipitously following initial seeding. For example, in 1997 Los Padres 

National Forest staff surveyed two experimental introduction populations that were 

established in 1989, and no plants were found at either site. Protection measures for 

California jewelflower are included in USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Upland Species of the 


San Joaquin Valley, California. The plan was completed in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of California jewelflower: Stable to declining. 

Slender-pod jewelflower 

(Caulanthus stenocarpus) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


When listed as rare by FGC 1979, slender pod jewelflower was considered to be a 

distinct species, known from only approximately four reported locations in San Diego 

County and an unknown number of sites in Baja California. This “taxon” has since been 

determined to have been described from a mixed herbarium sheet containing material 

from Caulanthus heterophyllus var. heterophyllus and Guillenia lasiophylla, another 

mustard. The DFG has drafted a petition to delist this species because it is no longer a 

valid taxon. 

The status in 1999 of slender-pod jewelflower: Not applicable. 

Hearst’s ceanothus 

(Ceanothus hearstiorum) 

CA - R (1981) 

FED - None 



Hearst’s ceanothus is a prostrate, mat-forming evergreen shrub in the buckthorn 

family (Rhamnaceae) with bright green leaves and deep blue flowers. It grows in coastal 

prairie and chaparral in the Arroyo de la Cruz region of San Luis Obispo County. It is 

associated with a number of State-listed plants including the State-listed endangered 

Hearst’s manzanita (Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. hearstiorum) and the State-listed rare 

maritime ceanothus (Ceanothus maritimus) as well as several unlisted but equally rare 

species. All five known occurrences of Hearst’s ceanothus are located on the Hearst 

Ranch, owned by the Hearst Corporation, in San Luis Obispo County. The DFG’s most 

recent information on the species dates from the mid-1980s. A historical threat has been 

the conversion of habitat to grazing land; the DFG has no current information 

regarding this or other potential threats. 

The status in 1999 of Hearst’s ceanothus: Unknown. 

Maritime ceanothus 

(Ceanothus maritimus) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - None 



Slender-pod 

jewelflower 

Hearst’s ceanothus 

Maritime ceanothus is a prostrate, mat-forming evergreen shrub in the 

buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae) with dark, glossy green leaves and small light to deep 

blue flowers. It occurs in coastal prairie and chaparral on coastal bluffs near Arroyo de 

la Cruz, San Luis Obispo County. Associated species include the State-listed rare Hearst’s 

ceanothus (Ceanothus hearstiorum) and the endangered Hearst’s manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. hearstiorum) as well as several unlisted but equally rare species. 

All six known occurrences of maritime ceanothus are located on the Hearst Ranch, 

Threatened and Endangered Species 

Maritime 

ceanothus 

119

Mason’s ceanothus 

owned by the Hearst Corporation, in San Luis Obispo County. In the mid-1980s, several 

of the occurrences were noted to have declined substantially. The DFG has no recent 

information on this species. 

The status in 1999 of maritime ceanothus: Unknown. 

Mason’s Ceanothus 

(Ceanothus masonii) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - None 


Mason’s ceanothus is an erect, spreading, evergreen shrub with shiny opposite 

leaves and dark blue to violet flowers. This member of the buckthorn family 

(Rhamnaceae) occurs in manzanita chaparral on Franciscan sandstone. The entire 

global distribution of Mason’s ceanothus is one confirmed occurrence at Bolinas Ridge 

in Marin County. This species may be a hybrid or variety of Ceanothus gloriosus; 

taxonomic work is needed. The only known occurrence of Mason’s ceanothus is 

owned jointly by Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Marin Municipal Water 

District, and thus is afforded some protection. Mason’s ceanothus depends on fire to 

reproduce. Long-term fire suppression may be detrimental to this species as plants are 

overtopped by taller shrubs in the absence of fire. DFG has no recent information on 

the status of this plant. 

The trend in 1999 for Mason’s ceanothus: Unknown. 

Vail Lake ceanothus 

(Ceanothus ophiochilus) 

CA - E (1994) 

FED - T (1998) 


Vail Lake ceanothus is a rounded, rigidly-branched shrub in the buckthorn 

family (Rhamnaceae) with pale blue to pinkish-lavender flowers. This species was first 

discovered during a spring 1989 botanical survey of the property surrounding Vail Lake 

in southwestern Riverside County. Two additional populations of Vail Lake ceanothus 

were discovered in 1993 within the Agua Tibia Wilderness of the Cleveland National 

Forest, also in southwestern Riverside County. Both populations include hybrids 

between Vail Lake ceanothus and the common hoaryleaf ceanothus (Ceanothus 

crassifolius). All occurrences of the species are on north-facing slopes and on soils 

derived from an unusual pyroxenite-rich rock outcrop that may be gabbroic in origin. 

Soil on the outcrop is nutrient poor and constitutes harsh growing conditions for most 

plants. Extensive botanical surveys have been conducted in the Agua Tibia Mountains, 

but to date, no other populations have been found. 

While the Cleveland National Forest populations of Vail Lake ceanothus are 

adequately protected within National Wilderness, the Vail Lake population, the most 

genetically pure occurrence, has been threatened for nearly a decade by the potential 

for residential development of the area surrounding Vail Lake. Multi-agency efforts to 

acquire the Vail Lake property as public open space, and an attempt to establish the 

property as a conservation bank, to date, have been unsuccessful. 

Studies of the effects of fire frequency on the establishment, survival and 

reproduction of Vail Lake ceanothus are critically needed. Unlike some chaparral 

shrubs, Vail Lake ceanothus lacks the ability to crown-sprout following a wildfire and 

reproduces only from seed stored in the soil. Information from studies on the ecology 

of this species will be essential to the development of recovery strategies and 

management plans, as well as the design of an adequate preserve for Vail Lake 


ceanothus. There is the potential for serious decline should the Vail Lake population be 

lost. 

The status in 1999 of Vail Lake ceanothus: Stable. 

Pine Hill ceanothus 

(Ceanothus roderickii) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - E (1996) 


Pine Hill ceanothus is an evergreen shrub in the buckthorn family 

(Rhamnaceae) with prostrate branches radiating from a central trunk as in a wagon 

wheel, and small white flowers tinged with blue. This ceanothus occurs on red clay soils 

of the Pine Hill gabbro formation within openings in chaparral in the Sierra foothills of 

El Dorado County. It is commonly associated with two other State-listed plants: 

Stebbins’ morning glory (Calystegia stebbinsii), and Layne’s butterweed (Senecio layneae). 

It also occurs in habitats near Pine Hill flannelbush (Fremontodendron decumbens) and El 

Dorado bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. sierrae). There are approximately 15 

occurrences of Pine Hill ceanothus. Portions of four occurrences of Pine Hill ceanothus 

are protected. Two of these sites are in the vicinity of Salmon Falls, to the north and 

south of the South Fork of the American River, and managed by BLM and the DFG. 

Another site is 240 acres managed by the DFG on Pine Hill. 

Continued losses of habitat are occurring through grading being conducted 

under ministerial grading permits that are not subject to review under the California 

Environmental Quality Act, development of telecommunications facilities on property 

managed by CDF on top of Pine Hill, and urban development in the vicinity of Cameron 

Park and Shingle Springs. 

The first phase of purchasing a 315-acre site in western El Dorado County, 

containing four State and federally listed plant species was completed in November of 

1997, through a combination of federal, State, and local funding. This preserve is being 

established to protect Stebbins’ morning glory, Pine Hill ceanothus, Layne’s butterweed, 

and El Dorado bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. sierrae). This preserve, when complete, 

will also include a large of number species which are considered endemic to or 

characteristic of gabbroic and serpentine soils, including El Dorado mule ears (Wyethia 

reticulata), which is only found in the gabbro soil in western El Dorado County. The 315acre 

preserve is one unit of a planned five-unit preserve system that is expected to total 

3,400 acres. Approximately half of this area consists of existing public lands. The other 

four units will be expanding around existing public lands, if private landowners are 

willing to sell or dedicate title or conservation easements and if the program continues 

to receive support from local public agencies. 


Sierra Nevada Foothills in 1998, which addresses recovery needs for Pine Hill ceanothus. 

The status in 1999 of Pine Hill ceanothus: Declining. 

Santa Catalina Island mountain mahogany 

(Cercocarpus traskiae) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1997) 


Santa Catalina Island mountain mahogany is a small, evergreen tree in the rose 

family (Rosaceae). Plants have clusters of small greenish flowers and leathery leaves that 

are white-woolly beneath. It is found only on Santa Catalina Island and when first 

described in 1897, the population was comprised of 40 to 50 mature plants. Today, the 

Pine Hill ceanothus 

Santa Catalina 

Island mountain 

mahogany 


Camatta Canyon 

amole 

Howell’s 

spineflower 

natural distribution is limited to one small population of seven trees and numerous 

seedlings in Wild Boar Gully in the Salta Verde region of the island. 

Browsing by introduced deer and goats and rooting by feral pigs has disturbed 

the soil and inhibited the establishment and growth of seedlings. The Santa Catalina 

Island Conservancy owns and manages the island and is carrying out protection and 

recovery actions. The individual trees were fenced in 1988 with enclosures of varying 

sizes. In the two largest fenced enclosures, a total of several hundred seedlings of 

varying ages were evident in 1995. Enclosures around the remaining trees are smaller 

and few or no seedlings were observed. In 1999 the Conservancy fenced the entire 

perimeter of Wild Boar Gully. Two trees were identified as hybrids between Santa 

Catalina Island mountain mahogany and the more common island mountain 

mahogany (C. betuloides var. blancheae). Genetically, Santa Catalina Island mountain 

mahogany is threatened by both inbreeding depression and genetic assimilation 

through hybridization with island mountain mahogany. The establishment of other 

populations outside Wild Boar Gully will be important to the long-term survival of this 

species. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Catalina Island mountain mahogany: 

Declining. 

Camatta Canyon amole 

(Chlorogalum purpureum var. reductum) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - FPT (1998) 


Camatta Canyon amole is a perennial herb in the lily family (Liliaceae) that 

arises from a bulb. It has a basal cluster of long, linear leaves and an elongate openbranched 

flowering stem topped by deep blue-purple flowers. The entire global 

distribution of this plant is two occurrences in upper Camatta Canyon, San Luis Obispo 

County: one on the Los Padres National Forest and one on nearby private property. 

Camatta Canyon amole grows in open areas with low vegetation cover in hard-packed, 

gravelly, red serpentine soil within the blue oak woodland community. 

In 1996, the DFG initiated research on the population on Los Padres National 

Forest property on Red Hill Road to determine appropriate methods for increasing 

numbers of Camatta Canyon amole, with funds from the California OHV Grant 

Program. Work continued through 1997. One indirect benefit of conducting this 

research was that an interested passer-by stopped to inquire about the work, and upon 

seeing the amole, reported that he had a population on his property. This has now been 

verified, and brings the total number of populations for this species to two. Though no 

surveys have been done for the newly discovered population, the site at Red Hill Road 

supported tens of thousands of individuals in 1996, indicating that 1984 fencing from 

OHVs has resulted in increased numbers. Although the OHV grant has run out, the DFG 

will continue to gather data on the experimental restoration project. 

The research also revealed that using bulbs as propagules resulted in extremely 

high survival (approximately 90 percent) after two winters, however, the effort needed 

to procure the bulbs in the summer (dormant) season was very high. Propagation by 

seed was successful, however, seedlings grow extremely slowly and take years to mature 

and produce seed. 

The status in 1999 of Camatta Canyon amole: Stable to Increasing. 

Howell’s spineflower 

(Chorizanthe howellii) 

CA - T (1987) 

FED - E (1992) 




Howell’s spineflower is a small, shaggy-haired annual with spine-enclosed 

clusters of tiny white and rose-colored flowers. Plants branch from the base and 

produce basal, oblong leaves. This member of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) is 

generally restricted to northern dune scrub habitat and occurs with the State-listed 

endangered Menzies’ wallflower (Erysimum menziesii) and the rare North coast phacelia 

(Phacelia insularis var. continentis). It is known from only three populations in the 

vicinity of MacKerricher State Park in the Ten Mile Dunes north of Fort Bragg, 

Mendocino County. 

The DPR is conducting dune restoration, including removal of invasive nonnative 

species such as ice plant, which will improve some habitat for Howell’s 

spineflower. In 1998, abundant spineflower emerged in areas from which iceplant and 

European beachgrass was removed. MacKerricher State Park is proposing to reconstruct 

or reroute a 16-foot wide, paved trail through occupied habitat, and trampling by horses 

and people continues to threaten the plant. The USFWS completed a recovery plan for 

Howell’s spineflower and six other coastal plants in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Howell’s spineflower: Stable. 

Orcutt’s spineflower 

(Chorizanthe orcuttiana) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1996) 


Orcutt’s spineflower is a prostrate annual herb in the buckwheat family 

(Polygonaceae). It has basal leaves, leaf-like bracts in pairs, and small yellow flowers. 

The historic range of Orcutt’s spineflower extended from Oceanside south to Point 

Loma in coastal San Diego County. Ten occurrences were known from sandy soils in 

coastal plains and mesas. 

By 1970, this species was thought to be extirpated throughout its known range 

until it was observed in 1979 at Torrey Pines State Reserve and later at Oakcrest 

Community Park. The Torrey Pines State Reserve population was last seen in 1987, 

despite the continued presence of suitable habitat and several efforts to relocate this 

occurrence. In the spring of 1997 a population of Orcutt’s spineflower was rediscovered 

on U.S. Navy lands at Point Loma. Much of the original habitat for Orcutt’s spineflower 

in coastal San Diego County has been eliminated by residential and commercial 

development. 

Careful surveys of all known historic sites and potential habitat are needed in 

good rainfall years to accurately assess the remaining distribution of Orcutt’s 

spineflower. Studies to determine the habitat requirements and factors affecting the 

establishment, growth and reproduction of the species are critically needed for the 

development of recovery strategies and management plans. USFWS provided federal 

Section 6 funding to the DFG, beginning in 1998, for portions of this work. This species is 

covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company Subregional NCCP, a linear NCCP 

from Orange County to the Mexican Border. It will likely also be covered in the San 

Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation Program NCCP to be finalized in the next few 

years. 

The status in 1999 of Orcutt’s spineflower: Declining. 

Orcutt’s 

spineflower 


Sonoma 

spineflower 

Ashland thistle 

Sonoma spineflower 

(Chorizanthe valida) 

CA - E (1990) 

FED - E (1992) 


Sonoma spineflower is a robust, erect annual herb in the buckwheat family 

(Polygonaceae). It has broad, lance-shaped basal leaves, and bears large, dense headlike 

clusters of spine-tipped bracts and pinkish flowers that bloom from June through 

August. Until its rediscovery in 1980, Sonoma spineflower was thought to be extinct. 

The distribution of Sonoma spineflower is limited to one site in Marin County, just 

south of Abbott’s Lagoon on a working cattle ranch within Point Reyes National 

Seashore at an elevation of 40 feet. This species occupies less than 2.5 acres of land 

within an enclosed pasture of about 360 acres, and consists of the main, native 

population and a reintroduction plot. The NPS believes there is a high degree of natural 

variability in plant numbers from year to year, and the overall population trend is 

unknown. NPS is attempting to secure funding to develop and implement repeatable 

monitoring protocols for the species. The USFWS completed a recovery plan for the 

Sonoma spineflower and six other coastal plants in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Sonoma spineflower: Unknown. 

Ashland thistle 

(Cirsium ciliolatum) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 


Ashland thistle is a perennial member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), 

with a tall stem, short lateral branches, and yellowish-white flower heads. California 

populations are known from the vicinity of Montague in Siskiyou County, and 

populations occur in southern Oregon. This thistle often grows in dry plains and open 

grassland habitats, where the soils are thin with rocky outcrops present. There are only 

five known occurrences of Ashland thistle in California. 

All occurrences are found on private land in agricultural areas devoted to 

grazing or grain production. Most occurrences tend to have numbers of individuals 

ranging from 10 to 100. An introduced beetle used as a biological control of Italian 

thistle, musk thistle, and milk thistle is also attracted to Cirsium species and may be a 

threat to Ashland thistle. There have been no surveys of the five known occurrences 

for this species in over 12 years. Efforts to locate Ashland thistle on BLM parcels in the 

Montague area resulted only in finds of peregrine thistle (Cirsium cymosum). Surveys of 

all known occurrences are needed, as is a monitoring program to determine the trend 

of Ashland thistle. The limited occurrences and small number of individuals per 

occurrence suggest instability with a potential for decline for this species. 

The status in 1999 of Ashland thistle: Unknown. 

Fountain thistle 

(Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1995) 

General Habitat: Valley and Foothill Grassland (Serpentine seeps) 

Fountain thistle is an herbaceous perennial with several stout, erect, reddish 


stems and large white to pinkish, nodding flowering heads. This member of the 

sunflower family (Asteraceae) occurs only in the extremely restricted serpentine seeps 

of the Crystal Springs region, San Mateo County. It sometimes grows with other rare 

plants like fragrant fritillary (Fritillaria liliaeca) and San Francisco wallflower (Erysimum 

franciscanum). 

The few existing fountain thistle occurrences are on public land owned and 

managed by CALTRANS and SFWD. An occurrence previously known from Edgewood 

County Park is thought to be extirpated; no plants have been seen there since one plant 

was observed in 1993. Construction of Interstate 280 contributed to the decline of 

fountain thistle by destroying habitat and altering the drainage patterns feeding the 

seeps in its serpentine grassland plant community; subsequent invasion of pampas grass 

into several of the colonies further threatens the species. The DFG, in cooperation with 

USFWS, conducted a recovery workshop addressing this species in April 1997, and as a 

result of recommendations made at that meeting, CALTRANS and SFWD have initiated 

pampas grass control programs to try to prevent further degradation of populations on 

their property. These eradication efforts will need to continue. Management and 

recovery actions for the species have been addressed in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for 

Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of fountain thistle: Declining. 

Chorro Creek bog thistle 

(Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense) 

CA - E (1993) 

FED - E (1994) 



Chorro Creek bog thistle is a short-lived perennial in the sunflower family 

(Asteraceae). This thistle is distinguished by its nodding, pinkish flower heads which 

bloom from February to September. Chorro Creek bog thistle is of extremely limited 

distribution, found only in perennial serpentine seeps and springs in western San Luis 

Obispo County. 

Ten populations of Chorro Creek bog thistle are known; nine populations occur 

within a five-mile radius of the City of San Luis Obispo, and one other about 30 miles to 

the northwest. Three populations are on publicly-owned property, one each managed 

by California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, the City of San Luis Obispo 

(only a portion of population), and the California National Guard. The National Guard 

has been monitoring the population at Camp San Luis Obispo since fencing the 

population from cattle grazing in October of 1994. Monitoring data indicated that in the 

absence of grazing by cattle, various native wetland species increased, coupled with a 

drastic decrease in recruitment of Chorro Creek bog thistle, resulting in an overall 

decline in numbers of the thistle. However, recruitment of thistle into grazed wetland 

areas outside of the cattle exclosure was observed. Beginning in January 1998, cattle 

were allowed access to about half of the population of bog thistle. Two years later, the 

number of plants doubled in the grazed area and remained approximately the same in 

the ungrazed area. Although the cows eat and trample many of the plants, the increased 

recruitment under controlled grazing more than makes up for the impact. Protection 

measures for Chorro Creek bog thistle are included in USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Morro 

Shoulderband Snail and Four Plants form Western San Luis Obispo County, California, 


The status in 1999 of Chorro Creek bog thistle: Stable to Declining. 


La Graciosa thistle 

Surf thistle 

La Graciosa thistle 

(Cirsium loncholepis) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - PE (1998) 

General habitat: Coastal Dunes 

Marsh and Swamp 

Riparian Scrub 

La Graciosa thistle is a bushy biennial or short-lived, perennial herb with large, 

smooth to slightly hairy leaves and clustered heads of white flowers. This member of 

the sunflower family (Asteraceae) is known from coastal San Luis Obispo and Santa 

Barbara counties from Pismo Beach south to Los Alamos. Its habitat is freshwater and 

brackish marshes, especially among dunes, and river bottom lands with high subsurface 

moisture levels. Seven sites are known for this species, with the largest, consisting of 

several thousand plants, at the mouth of the Santa Maria River. Other populations are 

small, generally with less than 50 individuals. Several have declined significantly in size 

in recent years, and a population south of Oso Flaco Lake may have been extirpated by 

encroaching vegetation. 

At least one population on Unocal property in the Guadalupe Dunes just north 

of the Santa Maria River and the population at the mouth of the Santa Maria River are 

at risk from long-term soil and water contamination from diluent on Unocal’s 

property. The DFG, the County of San Luis Obispo, and other agencies are currently 

reviewing a proposal by Unocal to clean up their site; remediation of the site may 

directly impact the population in the dunes. In 1999, the DFG met with DPR and the 

Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County to outline a program of dunegrass and 

Veldtgrass removal within the Guadalupe Dunes. It is expected that at least one 

population of La Graciosa thistle will benefit from this program, to be conducted by the 

Land Conservancy. 

The status in 1999 of La Graciosa thistle: Declining. 

Surf thistle 

(Cirsium rhothophilum) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - None 


Surf thistle is a low-growing, short-lived perennial in the sunflower family 

(Asteraceae) with whitish flowers in dense heads. It is characterized by large rosettes of 

spiny, white-woolly, deeply lobed and undulating leaves. The deep roots and whitewoolly 

herbage are adaptations to the physical stresses of the dune habitat, such as high 

light intensity and sand movement and abrasion. Flowering occurs between May and 

July. Surf thistle is endemic to the dunes of the central California coast, from the 

Nipomo Dunes of southern San Luis Obispo County to Point Concepcion in Santa 

Barbara County. It grows in coastal foredunes on the slopes of transverse ridges in areas 

of active sand accumulation. At the southern extreme of its range, it is found in sand at 

the bases or tops of cliffs. 

Several populations on Unocal property in the foredunes of the Guadalupe 

Dunes just north of the Santa Maria River are at risk from long-term soil and water 

contamination from diluent on Unocal’s property. The DFG, the County of San Luis 

Obispo, and other agencies are currently reviewing a proposal by Unocal to clean up 

their site; remediation of the site may directly impact the populations in the dunes. In 

1999, the DFG met with DPR and the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County to 

outline a program of dunegrass and Veldtgrass removal within the Guadalupe Dunes. It 

is expected that at least one population of surf thistle will benefit from this program, to 

be conducted by the Land Conservancy. 


The status in 1999 of surf thistle: Stable to declining. 

Presidio clarkia 

(Clarkia franciscana) 

CA - E (1978) 

FED - E (1995) 

General habitat: Coastal Scrub 


Presidio clarkia is a slender, branched annual herb with narrow leaves and 

lavender-pink flowers. This member of the evening-primrose family (Onagraceae) 

occurs on serpentine soils within the coastal prairie grassland community at San 

Francisco’s Presidio and in the Oakland Hills of Alameda County. At one location within 

the Presidio, this species grows in association with the State and federally-listed 

Endangered Presidio manzanita (Arctostaphylos hookeri ssp. ravenii). Current ownership 

includes EBRPD, NPS, and private landowners. 

The NPS is working to protect and enhance habitat for this clarkia at the 

Presidio in San Francisco. Non-native trees and the duff layer have been removed from 

its habitat, which has also been fenced. The NPS is planning experiments to determine 

the best habitat management techniques for the species. A portion of the Oakland 

population is on property that is being redeveloped; the City’s permit requires 

protection that the site and long-term management for the benefit of the species. 

EBRPD recently removed nonnative trees and other vegetation that threatens the 

population at Redwood Regional Park. Management and recovery actions for the 

species have been addressed in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the 

San Francisco Bay Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Presidio clarkia: Stable to Declining. 

Vine Hill clarkia 

(Clarkia imbricata) 

CA -E (1978) 

FED -E (1997) 


Vine Hill clarkia, a member of the evening primrose family (Onagraceae), is a 

late-blooming, slender annual herb with large white or pinkish flowers. This species 

grows in habitats with sandy loam soils. Historically, it is known from only two natural 

occurrences in the Vine Hill area of Sonoma County. One of these is extirpated, leaving 

a single native population. A transplanted population exists at the California Native 

Plant Society’s one-acre Vine Hill Preserve. 

In the past year, Vine Hill clarkia has significantly declined and is highly 

endangered. The native population of Vine Hill clarkia was formerly split between two 

privately owned parcels. Until several years ago, TNC had cooperative agreements with 

both landowners to protect the population. Since then, the soil on one of the parcels 

was scraped, and the plants extirpated. The other parcel was sold in 1997 and a portion 

of the Vine Hill clarkia habitat on this second parcel was disturbed. Plants may not 

reestablish on the disturbed soil based on prior observations that the plant depends on 

the presence of an undisturbed soil crust. The new landowner wants to build on the 

plant’s habitat, but is willing to sell the parcel instead. The DFG is seeking cooperation to 

protect this last remaining portion of the native population of Vine Hill clarkia. 

The status in 1999 of Vine Hill clarkia: Declining. 

Presidio clarkia 

Vine Hill clarkia 


Merced clarkia 

Pismo clarkia 

Merced clarkia 

(Clarkia lingulata) 

CA - R (1988); E (1989) 

FED - None 



Merced clarkia is a slender annual herb in the evening primrose family 

(Onagraceae) with bright pink flowers. The distribution of Merced clarkia consists of 

only two populations along Highway 140 in the Merced River Canyon of Mariposa 

County. 

Merced clarkia grows on land administered by the Sierra National Forest; its 

roadside habitat is maintained by CALTRANS. The steep habitat occupied by Merced 

clarkia above Highway 140 is prone to rockslides and soil slippage, so road maintenance 

activities have the potential to harm the species. In 1989, USFS developed a species 

management guide for Merced clarkia. 

In 1994, a multi-agency MOU for the conservation and protection of sensitive 

species in the Merced River Canyon was signed by USFS, BLM, CALTRANS, DFG, and 

PG&E. The MOU specifies guidelines for highway and power line maintenance and 

repair, notification requirements, species monitoring, and annual reviews. The MOU 

has resulted in significant protection for Merced clarkia during both routine activities 

and emergency actions due to rockslides, a flood, and a gasoline spill. USFS annually 

monitors the Merced Clarkia populations. Merced Clarkia had vigorous populations in 

1995, but 1996 and 1997 were successively poorer years. The lowest numbers ever 

observed by Sierra National Forest personnel were in 1997, probably due to the lack of 

rainfall during the entire spring after the massive flooding in early January. In 1997, the 

DFG, USFS, and CSU - Fresno, initiated a study of the genetics of Merced clarkia. In 1998, 

both Merced clarkia populations had returned to full vigor. 

The status in 1999 of Merced clarkia: Stable. 

Pismo clarkia 

(Clarkia speciosa ssp. immaculata) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - E (1994) 


Pismo clarkia is an erect annual herb in the evening primrose family 

(Onagraceae). Each flower has four lavender, fan-shaped petals that fade to pale yellow 

or white at the base. The plant flowers from May to July. This species grows on dry, 

sandy, often disturbed soils along the margins of oak woodland in open grassy sites. 

This plant is known only from 12 occurrences in the Pismo Beach area of San Luis 

Obispo County. All sites are on private land. Portions of two occurrences have been 

extirpated by residential development, and development has been proposed for six of 

the other sites. Additional threats to some of the sites include improper grazing and 

roadside mowing for vegetation control. One site was extirpated in the early 1990s, 

although an attempt is being made to establish a population at a new site using seed that 

was collected from the plants before their habitat was destroyed. The DFG has not 

been able to obtain data on the success or failure of this site, however. In 1998, a new 

location was discovered on the Nipomo Mesa north of Black Lake Canyon, however, it 

will be partly destroyed by road construction. A conservation easement was acquired 

and will be given to the City of San Luis Obispo to conserve Indian Knob, which 

supports a population of Pismo clarkia and the State- and federally-listed endangered 

Indian Knob mountainbalm (Eriodictyon altissimum). Protection measures for Pismo 

clarkia are included in USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Morro Shoulderband Snail and Four 

Plants form Western San Luis Obispo County, California, completed in 1998. 


The status in 1999 of Pismo clarkia: Declining. 

Springville clarkia 

(Clarkia springvillensis) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - T (1998) 



Springville clarkia is an annual herb with simple or branched stems, narrow 

leaves, and brilliant lavender-pink flowers punctuated by dark purplish basal spots. It is 

in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae). This wildflower is restricted to roadsides 

and grassy openings in blue oak woodland near the Tule River in the Sierra Nevada 

foothills of Tulare County. Fifteen extant populations occur in a small area near the 

North and Middle Forks of the Tule River northeast of Springville. One occurs at the 

DFG’s Springville Ecological Reserve, eight on Sequoia National Forest, one at a Tulare 

County educational site, one on BLM land, and three are privately owned. An additional 

population occurs 16 miles to the northwest near Salt Creek, a tributary of the Kaweah 

River near Three Rivers. 

Springville clarkia is a late-blooming species that may not develop mature seeds 

before its grassland habitat is mowed annually for fire protection. In 1993, the DFG 

funded research that found that the species had a fair amount of genetic diversity 

despite its small population size and considerable annual fluctuation in population 

numbers. In 1997, many plants dried up and died before setting seeds, probably because 

of the extremely dry spring that followed a major storm in early January. Sequoia 

National Forest and the DFG are developing a Species Management Guide that will 

prescribe research and management actions to maintain the species. 

The status in 1999 of Springville clarkia: Declining. 

Salt marsh bird’s-beak 

(Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. maritimus) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1978) 


Salt marsh bird’s-beak is a diffusely branched annual herb with grayish-green, 

tinged purple hairy leaves. This member of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae) has 

spikes of bee pollinated flowers with two-lipped petals. Upper petals are beak-like with 

yellowish tips, and lower petals have a purplish pouch. The plants are hemiparasitic, 

sometimes obtaining moisture and nutrients from the roots of their host plants, which 

are usually perennials. Salt marsh bird’s-beak grows in the higher reaches of coastal salt 

marshes to intertidal and brackish areas influenced by freshwater input. Some plants 

occur in non-tidal areas or in areas of perched water tables; there may be different 

ecotypes. 

Historically, salt marsh bird’s-beak was widespread in coastal salt marshes from 

Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo County to San Diego County and northern Baja California 

Norte. Presently, it occurs only in scattered sites at fewer than 10 remnant salt marshes. 

Half of the original occurrences are now extirpated. In California, it is currently found 

at Tijuana Estuary and Sweetwater Marsh in San Diego County, Upper Newport Bay and 

possibly Anaheim Bay in Orange County, Ormond Beach and Mugu Lagoon in Ventura 

County, Carpenteria Marsh in Santa Barbara County, and Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo 

County. Occurrences are under the control of federal, State, and local governments, 

and private owners. 

A recently completed restoration plan has been developed for the privately 

owned Ormond Beach population which, if implemented, is expected to improve 

Springville clarkia 

Salt marsh 

bird’s-beak 


Soft bird’s-beak 

Mount Diablo 

bird’s-beak 

habitat for the bird’s-beak and other associated species. A project to restore salt marsh 

habitat and expand the salt marsh bird’s-beak population is also in progress at 

Carpenteria Salt Marsh by the University of California Natural Reserve System. 

Maintenance of appropriate hydrological conditions for this species continues to be 

one of the most challenging management issues. The interaction between tidal flows 

and local surface and subsurface freshwater flows is complex and important to the 

species’ survival. Recently approved water diversions from Calleguas Creek may 

substantially reduce freshwater input into Mugu Lagoon and impair efforts being 

planned by the military to expand habitat for salt marsh bird’s-beak. This species is also 

found in the DFG’s Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve (UNBER), and UNBER’s 

management plan addresses the conservation of the plant. 

Salt marsh bird’s-beak is highly vulnerable to loss of genetic variation, and 

future reintroduction attempts should strive to create contiguous patches of plants or to 

periodically reseed existing patches. Maintenance of nearby upland habitat supporting 

native pollinators is important to the species’ survival. Several non-native competitors 

are displacing salt marsh bird’s beak from their habitat, including sea lavender and 

several exotic grasses. This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species 

Conservation Plan NCCP. It is also covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company 

Subregional NCCP, a linear NCCP from Orange County to the Mexican Border. 

The status in 1999 of salt marsh bird’s-beak: Stable to declining. 

Soft bird’s-beak 

(Cordylanthus mollis ssp. mollis) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - E (1997) 


Soft bird’s-beak is a sparingly branched, hemiparasitic, herbaceous annual plant 

in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). Its stems are covered by soft hairs, and it bears 

white two-lipped flowers. Soft bird’s-beak grows in the coastal salt marshes and 

brackish marshes from northern San Francisco Bay to Suisun Bay in Napa, Solano, and 

Contra Costa counties. The plant likely once occurred in a ring around most of the 

entire estuary, but much of its habitat has been lost or fragmented due to development. 

Currently, there are 12 existing occurrences of soft bird’s-beak. Eight historical 

occurrences have not been seen after extensive and repeated searches and have likely 

been extirpated. A DFG-sponsored study revealed that populations fluctuate greatly 

from year to year, depending on weather patterns. As an example, the population in 

Napa County increased eight-fold in 1999 from its 1998 size, but was still only eleven 

percent of its 1994 size. 

The status in 1999 of soft bird’s-beak: Stable. 

Mount Diablo bird’s-beak 

(Cordylanthus nidularus) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - None 


Mount Diablo bird’s-beak, a member of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae), is 

a prostrate to ascending, branched, mat-forming annual with small white and purpleveined 

flowers. Its interlacing branches form an unbroken mat over the serpentine 

chaparral habitat in which it grows. The entire global distribution of this unusual bird’sbeak 

consists of one occurrence on the northeast slope of Mount Diablo in Contra 

Costa County, within Mount Diablo State Park. This population is stable, although it 

appears to require some disturbance, such as fire. 


The status in 1999 of Mount Diablo bird’s-beak: Stable. 

Palmate-bracted (=Ferris’) bird’s-beak 

(Cordylanthus palmatus) 

CA - E (1984) 

FED - E (1986) 



Palmate-bracted bird’s-beak is a pale green-gray annual herb in the figwort 

family (Scrophulariaceae). It branches from the base, and the leaves and bracts are 

covered by salt deposits extruded from special glands. This species is confined to the 

saline-alkaline soils and is a component of alkali sink scrub vegetation in relatively 

undisturbed, seasonally flooded lowlands in the Central and Livermore valleys. 

Historically, occurrences were scattered throughout the San Joaquin Valley in Fresno 

and Madera counties, the Livermore Valley in Alameda County and the Sacramento 

Valley in Colusa and Yolo counties. 

Seven populations of palmate-bracted bird’s-beak are currently known. In 

Colusa County, a large population exists at Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, and a 

second scattered population occurs at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge. An artificially 

seeded population exists at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. A portion of the 

population in Yolo County is on property owned by the City of Woodland. The DFG’s 

Alkali Sink Ecological Reserve in Fresno County supports a good population; however, 

periodic discing of its roadside habitat by a neighboring landowner, who has a right-ofway 

easement, is threatening it. A small population occurs on a private ranch land in 

Madera County. 

The seventh population occurs in the Springtown alkali sink, located north of 

Livermore in Alameda County. This large and genetically diverse population occurs on 

lands owned by the Federal Communication Commission, the City of Livermore, and 

private landowners. A recent study of the alkali sink hydrology found that the bird’sbeak 

occupies a narrow zone of favorable conditions depending on pH, salinity, and 

moisture content, and that maintaining the hydrologic functioning of the system is 

important to maintaining the bird’s-beak at the site. A 1997 survey of the plants at the 

site found that the bird’s-beak is thriving in the alkali sink; however, many of the 

existing colonies are degraded by bicycle use and by heavy grazing. 

Protection measures for palmate-bracted bird’s-beak are included in USFWS’s 

Recovery Plan for Upland Species of the San Joaquin Valley, California. The plan was 


The status in 1999 of palmate-bracted bird’s-beak: Stable to 

Declining. 

Seaside bird’s-beak 

(Cordylanthus rigidus ssp. littoralis) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 


Central Coast Maritime Chaparral 


Palmate-bracted 

bird’s-beak 

Seaside bird’s-beak is a bushy annual herb in the figwort family 

(Scrophulariaceae). The yellowish green branches and leaves are covered with fine 

hairs, and its pale yellow flowers are clustered at the ends of branches. Seaside bird’sbeak 

grows in sandy soils of stabilized dunes covered by closed-cone pine forest, 

cismontane woodland, or maritime chaparral. Plants thrive in areas of recent surface 

soil disturbance or in areas with reduced levels of competition from shrubs and Seaside bird’s-beak 


Pennell’s 

bird’s-beak 

herbaceous plants. The historic distribution of this bird’s-beak was, until recently, 

thought to be restricted to northern Monterey County; the recent base closure of Fort 

Ord resulted in the protection of several of these populations. However, in the early 

1980s, several collections from Burton Mesa in Santa Barbara County were identified as 

this subspecies. About 10 sites are known at present on publicly and privately owned 

lands and on Vandenberg Air Force Base. At some of the Santa Barbara County sites, 

subspecies littoralis hybridizes with subspecies rigidus, with the latter also native to this 

area. In 1997, a new population was identified on Vandenberg AFB. 

In Santa Barbara County, populations of seaside bird’s-beak are located on land 

managed and conserved by DPR at the La Purissima Mission State Park. Several 

populations of this species are also protected on the 5,125-acre Burton Mesa 

Management Area which was acquired by the State Lands Commission and surrounds 

the small community of Vandenberg Village. There is currently little information on 

the status of these populations. Prescribed burning, wildfires, vegetation fuel break 

construction, invasive species, and recreational activities on protected lands may pose a 

threat to the rare Burton Mesa chaparral plant community and populations of seaside 

bird’s-beak found there. High fire frequency and out-of-season burning may adversely 

affect the species. Fires, ground disturbing activities and recreational use contribute to 

the spread of invasive species like pampas grass, iceplant, and veldt grass, which are 

capable of overtaking bird’s-beak habitat. Additional data on the status of populations 

and threats is needed to better understand long-term trends and guide management. 

The status in 1999 of seaside bird’s-beak: Stable. 

Pennell’s bird’s-beak 

Cordylanthus tenuis ssp. capillaris 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - E (1995) 

General habitat: Closed-cone Conifer Forest 

Chaparral 

Pennell’s bird’s-beak is a tall annual herb in the figwort family 

(Scrophulariaceae). It has three-parted, linear-lobed leaves, dark red stems and fewflowered, 

branched flower stalks of white and maroon-purple flowers. Pennell’s bird’sbeak 

is restricted to open sites and clearings in the serpentine chaparral plant 

community. This bird’s-beak is associated with the State-listed rare Baker’s manzanita 

(Arctostaphylos bakeri). Both plants are found a few miles southeast of Occidental at 

Harrison Grade in Sonoma County. There are two occurrences of Pennell’s bird’s-beak. 

One is on private land and is being severely impacted by trespassing OHV users, 

campers, and hikers. A small portion of the other occurrence is on the DFG’s Harrison 

Grade Ecological Reserve, but most of this second population is on adjacent private land. 

In 1997, the DFG held two recovery workshops to address Pennell’s bird’s-beak 

and 11 other plants known from serpentine habitats in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 

highest priority recovery action for the plant identified by workshop participants was 

preserving at least the majority of one of the populations either through acquisition or 

conservation easement, since the ecological reserve is too small to afford long-term 

protection for the species as a whole. Management and recovery actions for the species 

have been addressed in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San 

Francisco Bay Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Pennell’s bird’s-beak: Declining. 


Wiggin’s croton 

(Croton wigginsii) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 


Sonoran Desert Scrub 

Wiggin’s croton is a silver-haired, much branched, perennial shrub in the spurge 

family (Euphorbiaceae). Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants. This 

species occurs on the Algodones Dunes in southeast Imperial County, with additional 

sites in Baja California Norte and Sonora, Mexico. In California, it grows primarily along 

the west side of the Algodones Dunes system. 

There are just over a dozen occurrences of Wiggin’s croton within the 

Algodones Dunes system. Approximately 75 percent of the dune system remains open to 

OHVs, which poses a major threat to the species. The remaining portion of the 

Algodones Dunes is been designated as the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness under the 

California Desert Protection Act and is closed to OHV activity. 

In 1998 and 1999 DFG staff collaborated with the BLM, CNPS, and the USFWS to 

conduct spring monitoring surveys for Wiggins’ croton and four other plant species of 

concern on the Algodones Dunes in Imperial County. The purpose of the surveys is to 

establish and monitor transects across the dunes, both within the OHV open areas and 

the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness, for the presence and size of plant populations 

in those areas. 

The status in 1999 of Wiggin’s croton: Declining. 

Bristlecone cryptantha 

(Cryptantha roosiorum) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Subalpine Conifer Forest 

Bristlecone cryptantha is a member of the borage family (Boraginaceae) that 

produces dense cushions of grayish leaves and compact heads of small white flowers. 

This diminutive perennial plant is commonly found on the gentle slopes or flats of 

dolomite or limestone formations, in open sunny sites of the bristlecone pine 

community. It occurs in the Inyo Mountains, Inyo County, where it is known from five 

occurrences, two of which were discovered in 1998. DFG has no recent information on 

the original three occurrences of this plant. 

The status in 1999 of bristlecone cryptantha: Unknown. 

Santa Cruz cypress 

(Cupressus abramsiana) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1987) 


Chaparral 

Santa Cruz cypress, a member of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), is an erect, 

densely branched, compact, coniferous tree with slender branchlets and cones 

containing six to eight seeds per scale. It grows on old marine sandstones or granitic soils 

in chaparral and closed-cone pine forest communities. This cypress is restricted to a 

localized area within the Santa Cruz Mountains near Bonny Doon and Eagle Rock in 

Wiggin’s croton 

Bristlecone 

cryptantha 

Santa Cruz cypress 


July gold 

Santa Cruz County. It also occurs at Butano Ridge in San Mateo County. Its distribution 

suggests that Santa Cruz cypress is a relict species, representing a type of vegetation 

widespread during glacial times but now confined to scattered sites. 

Logging, agricultural conversion, residential development, and changes in 

natural fire regime have reduced further Santa Cruz cypress, and it is known from only 

five populations with a total of approximately 5,100 individuals. Half of the one 

population is protected by the DFG’s Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve, one population is 

protected within Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and a third is within Pescadero Creek 

County Park. Threats to the populations include competition with non-native species 

such as broom and pampas grass and the lack of fires to enable reproduction. USFWS 

released a recovery plan for Santa Cruz cypress in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Cruz cypress: Stable to Declining. 

July gold 

(Dedeckera eurekensis) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: · Mojavean Desert Scrub 

July gold, a species first described in 1976, is a low, rounded, densely branched shrub in the 

buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). Plants are covered with small, olive-green leaves and, 

when in bloom, masses of tiny golden flowers. It is a shrub of rocky ridges, cliffs, talus 

slopes, and washes in mixed desert shrub and shadscale scrub plant communities. About 

10 small disjunct populations are known, one of which was discovered in 1998. The plants 

seem to be restricted to dolomite and limestone formations in the Last Chance, White, 

Inyo, and Panamint mountains of Inyo and Mono counties on federal land managed by 

USFS, BLM, and the NPS in Death Valley National Park. 

Potential threats to July gold’s habitat include mining, OHVs, and small hydroelectric 

projects. The ecological requirements of July gold remain largely unknown. No seedlings 

have been documented for this species; further study is needed to determine whether this 

shrub’s reproductive capacity is so limited that it may affect the ability of this species to 

survive into the future. 

The Status in 1999 of July gold: Stable. 

Baker’s larkspur 

(Delphinium bakeri) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - PE (1997) 


Baker’s larkspur, a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), is an erect, 

leafy-stemmed perennial with showy blue and white flowers. It was once known from 

several populations in Marin and Sonoma counties, and has become endangered 

through extensive livestock grazing, roadside maintenance activities, and conversion of 

its habitat to cultivated farmland. The single remaining occurrence is extremely small 

and privately owned, and appears to be declining gradually. This species is 

exceptionally vulnerable to chance catastrophic events. Although Baker’s larkspur has 

always been rare, habitat losses have nearly caused its extinction. 

The status in 1999 of Baker’s larkspur: Stable. 


Cuyamaca larkspur 

(Delphinium hesperium ssp. cuyamacae) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 


Cuyamaca larkspur is a herbaceous perennial in the buttercup family 

(Ranunculaceae) with erect leafy stems that produce dense blue-violet blooms. This 

larkspur usually grows in low, moist areas within the grassy meadows bordering 

Cuyamaca Lake and nearby areas in eastern San Diego County. Approximately 20 

occurrences of Cuyamaca larkspur are known and nearly 70 percent of these are found 

within the boundaries of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. 

DPR established the Cuyamaca Meadows Natural Preserve within the Park in 

1990 to provide additional protection to Cuyamaca larkspur habitat as well as habitats 

for other listed plant species found in that portion of the State Park. Following two 

years of extended negotiations, in 1996 the DFG entered into an interagency MOU with 

USFWS, Helix Water District, Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and Park District, DPR, and 

USFS to protect Cuyamaca larkspur and two State-listed endangered species. These 

species, Cuyamaca Lake downingia (Downingia concolor var. brevior) and Parish’s 

meadowfoam (Limnanthes gracilis var. parishii), occur in the Cuyamaca Valley and other 

portions of the Cuyamaca, Laguna and Palomar Mountains in eastern San Diego County. 

The MOU identifies particular actions to be taken by each of the signatory land 

managers to preserve and protect the populations of Cuyamaca larkspur on their lands. 

Grazing by cattle on private ranch lands, highway maintenance activities, and 

recreational and trail development are threats to Cuyamaca larkspur. 

The status in 1999 of Cuyamaca larkspur: Stable. 

Yellow larkspur 

(Delphinium luteum) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - PE (1997) 


Yellow larkspur is a distinctively yellow flowered, herbaceous perennial in the 

buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It grows on steep, rocky outcrops within the coastal 

sage scrub plant community. The restricted distribution of yellow larkspur is centered 

near the town of Bodega Bay, Sonoma County, with fewer than a dozen historic 

occurrences recorded. Rock quarrying activities, overcollecting, residential 

development, and sheep grazing have reduced the populations such that today there are 

only two known remaining populations of genetically pure yellow larkspur. Both are 

on private land; one is completely inaccessible and must be observed with binoculars 

from the highway. The other population had 130 plants in 1985, 83 in 1997, and between 

50 and 100 in 1998. Several additional populations appear to be hybrids with another 

larkspur species. 

Under a research permit, a graduate student in Washington State is investigating 

the genetic diversity of the wild populations and two cultivated populations of the plant. 

It is hoped that plants from at least one of the cultivated populations can be introduced 

back into the wild without genetically contaminating the natural populations. To date, 

the study has revealed that yellow larkspur is not of hybrid origin. 

The status in 1999 of yellow larkspur: Declining. 

Cuyamaca larkspur 

Yellow larkspur 


San Clemente 

Island larkspur 

Geyser’s 

dichanthelium 

Beach spectacle 

pod 

San Clemente Island larkspur 

(Delphinium variegatum var. kinkiense) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1977) 


San Clemente Island larkspur is a perennial herb in the buttercup family 

(Ranunculaceae). Plants have divided, basal leaves and elongated stalks of pale violet 

flowers. This species is known from about 10 sites in grasslands on the eastern slopes of 

San Clemente Island, Los Angeles County. 

All San Clemente Island larkspur populations have been damaged by feral 

animals. Intense grazing by introduced goats, the accompanying soil loss, and 

competition from introduced, weedy, annual plants resulted in serious threats to this 

larkspur and its associated species. The U.S. Navy, which has jurisdiction over the island, 

has an ongoing program to remove feral goats and pigs in an effort to restore the native 

vegetation. In the summer of 1989 a new phase of this eradication effort was initiated. 

Two fenced larkspur populations have grown to several hundred plants each. Over the 

last few years, the Island’s native vegetation has shown a general improvement. There 

is a lack of recent information, but it may be one of gradual movement toward stability. 

The status in 1999 of San Clemente Island larkspur: Unknown. 

Geyser’s Dichanthelium 

(Dichanthelium lanuginosum var. thermale) 

CA -E (1978) 

FED - None 


Geyser’s dichanthelium, a member of the grass family (Poaceae), is a tufted, 

velvet-haired, perennial grass that is found only in the Big Sulfur Creek drainage of The 

Geysers area, Sonoma County. It is restricted to the hydrothermally altered soil near 

surface active geothermal sites and is adapted to the high acidity, high soil moisture, and 

high soil temperatures at these sites. Extensive development for geothermal power 

altered the largest occurrence before its entire abundance was known. Currently, 

Geyser’s dichanthelium is known from eight occurrences. 

The DFG and the California Energy Commission have been working with 

private companies to avoid disturbance to the plant within the Little Geysers Natural 

Area, and the main owner/operator is monitoring the plants yearly under a MOU with 

the DFG. This monitoring, which has included detailed demographic research, has 

provided evidence that seedling emergence and mortality are strongly affected by 

variation in annual rainfall. Monitoring to date has not revealed any long-term trends 

in the species related to geothermal development. 

The status in 1999 of Geyser’s dichanthelium: Stable. 

Beach spectacle pod 

(Dithyrea maritima) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - None 


Beach spectacle pod is a low growing, whitish-flowered perennial herb in the 

mustard family (Brassicaceae). It is found in small transverse foredunes within 

approximately 50-300 meters from the surf. Beach spectacle pod is usually found in areas 


of these fragile dunes where the sand is relatively unstable. Although historically ranging 

as far south as Los Angeles County and possibly Baja California Norte, Mexico, this species 

currently occurs in the dunes of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties and on San 

Nicholas and San Miguel Islands. 

The U.S. Navy owns and manages San Nicolas Island, and the Navy’s 

Environmental Division reviews all land use plans and activities that may affect 

sensitive species. Populations on the island appear to be healthy, and are limited to the 

sand dune communities on the west and southwest coasts. Expanding northern 

elephant seal populations are trampling some dune occurrences of this plant on the 

island. The Navy surveys beach spectacle pod populations regularly, and a study is being 

conducted to identify factors limiting population growth on the island. 

Several populations on Unocal property in the foredunes of the Guadalupe 

Dunes just north of the Santa Maria River are at risk from long-term soil and water 

contamination from a diluting substance on Unocal’s property. The DFG, the San Luis 

Obispo County, and other agencies are currently reviewing a proposal by Unocal to 

clean up their site; remediation of the site may directly impact the populations in the 

dunes. In 1999, the DFG met with DPR and the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo 

County to outline a program of dunegrass and Veldtgrass removal within the Guadalupe 

Dunes. It is expected that at least one population of beach spectacle pod will benefit 

from this program, to be conducted by the Land Conservancy. 

The status in 1999 of beach spectacle pod: Declining. 

Slender-horned spineflower 

(Dodecahema leptoceras) 

CA- E (1982) 

FED- E (1987) 

General Habitat: Alluvial Scrub 

Slender-horned spineflower is a small annual with a rosette of leaves and 

spreading flowering stems. It produces up to five white flowers with a pink stripe from 

12-awned involucres. This member of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) is generally 

restricted to silty, flood-deposited, older alluvial surfaces in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, 

and Riverside counties. The alluvial fan sage scrub where it typically occurs is an 

endangered natural community. 

Populations occur within eight watersheds: Santa Clara River, Big Tujunga Wash, 

Lytle Creek, Santa Ana River, San Jacinto River, Bautista Creek, Temescal Canyon, and 

Vail Lake. Most of these support only a small number of subpopulations. Santa Ana 

River supports as many as 22 subpopulations, although eight of those have not been seen 

in recent years. The Vail Lake area may support 28 subpopulations. Protected 

populations occur on public lands at Santa Ana River, Bautista Creek, and Arroyo Seco 

Creek in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Most of the remaining populations on 

private lands are threatened by proposed development projects, flood control activities, 

sand and gravel mining, and recreational uses. Seven historically known populations are 

presumed extirpated. 

Several recently completed research projects overseen by the DFG with funding 

from federal Section 6 grants have increased our understanding of population biology, 

genetics, soils and habitat characteristics, geomorphic processes, and plant community 

classification. 

Population size and reproduction are highly variable and are influenced by 

climate patterns. Spineflower exhibits multiple germination events tied to rainfall 

events, suggesting the presence of a stored soil seed bank. The flowers are probably 

pollinated by insects, but floral visitation is extremely difficult to observe. A small wasp 

(Plenoculus davisii) carrying pollen has been collected. Spineflower soils typically are 

about 85 percent silt, with very low nitrogen levels. Populations often occur in shallow 

depressions. Dispersal to new sites may be aided by overland sheetflow. Sediments 

supporting spineflower are usually older than 100 years and may even be remnants of 

late to mid-Holocene deposits (1,000 to 5,000 thousand years old). 

Slender-horned 

spineflower 


Cuyamaca Lake 

downingia 

Short-leaved 

dudleya 

Spineflower habitat appears to be most often associated with the most diverse 

phases of alluvial fan sage scrub. Future studies are planned to examine 

microtopographic features, soil flora, and factors that may limit seed dispersal. In 1997, 

a draft recovery plan for slender-horned spineflower was released by USFWS; it is 

currently being revised. 

The status in 1999 of slender-horned spineflower: Stable to 

Declining. 

Cuyamaca Lake downingia 

(Downingia concolor var. brevior) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 


Cuyamaca Lake downingia, a member of the bellflower family 

(Campanulaceae), is a small annual herb that produces blue and white flowers tinged 

with purple spots. It grows only on the vernally moist soils of Cuyamaca Lake and 

Cuyamaca Valley in the Cuyamaca Mountains of eastern San Diego County. 

The annual distribution of Cuyamaca Lake downingia is dependent upon 

seasonal rainfall and standing water levels. Plant numbers and their locations within 

the Cuyamaca Valley may vary widely from year to year, depending upon these 

conditions. A small portion of the known population is found within Cuyamaca 

Rancho State Park and on private property at the eastern end of Cuyamaca Lake. The 

vast majority of the species habitat occurs on land owned by the Helix Water District 

and managed jointly by the Water District and the Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and Park 

District. 

In 1990, DPR established the Cuyamaca Meadows Natural Preserve within 

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park to provide additional protection to Cuyamaca Lake 

downingia habitat as well as habitats for other rare species found in that portion of the 

State Park. 

Following two years of extended negotiations, in 1996 the DFG entered into an 

interagency MOU with USFWS, Helix Water District, Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and 

Park District, DPR, and USFS to protect Cuyamaca Lake downingia, State-listed 

endangered Parish’s meadowfoam (Limnanthes gracilis var. parishii), and State-listed rare 

Cuyamaca larkspur (Delphinium hesperium ssp. cuyamacae). The MOU identifies 

particular actions to be taken by each of the signatory land managers to preserve and 

protect the populations of Cuyamaca Lake downingia on their lands. Grazing by cattle 

on private ranch lands remains a threat to Cuyamaca Lake downingia. 

The status in 1999 of Cuyamaca Lake downingia: Stable. 

Short-leaved dudleya 

(Dudleya blochmaniae ssp. brevifolia = D. brevifolia) 

CA - E (1982) 


Coastal Scrub 

Short-leaved dudleya is a small, succulent perennial plant with a rosette of 

leaves that sprout from a corm. This member of the stonecrop family (Crassulaceae) 

produces short stalks of white flowers with red or purple markings. Short-leaved 

dudleya may have never been widespread and it remains restricted to open sites in the 

chaparral communities of western San Diego County. It occurs on extremely shallow, 

sandy soils, often at the edges of canyons. Short-leaved dudleya is known from only 

five extant occurrences in 1997. 

In 1997, USFWS withdrew its Proposed Rule to list short-leaved dudleya as 


endangered based on the fact that the species will receive protection as a covered 

species in the MSCP of southern San Diego County. Because in some areas it grows in 

openings that are favored as overlooks by hikers, trampling by people and dogs is a 

considerable threat to these occurrences, and more site-specific measures to lessen these 

impacts are needed. This species is also covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric 

Company Subregional NCCP, a linear NCCP from Orange County to the Mexican 

Border. It will likely also be covered in the San Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation 

Program NCCP to be finalized in the next few years. 

The status in 1999 of short-leaved dudleya: Stable to Declining. 

Santa Monica Mountains dudleya 

(Dudleya cymosa ssp. marcescens) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - T (1997) 


Santa Monica Mountains dudleya is a succulent perennial in the stonecrop 

family (Crassulaceae) with a basal rosette of leaves. Its flowers are bright yellow and 

often marked with red. This species grows on rocky volcanic cliffs and canyon walls in 

the Santa Monica Mountains from Hidden Valley to Malibu Creek State Park. From 

seven occurrences, the total number of known individuals is estimated to be less than 

1,000. 

Ownership is divided between NPS, DPR, and private individuals. Threats to the 

species include recreational activities such as rock climbing and bouldering. Alteration 

of surrounding vegetation and natural fire patterns and illegal collecting for garden or 

horticultural uses are also potential threats to habitat and population viability. Urban 

development may threaten privately owned populations. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Monica Mountains dudleya:Stable. 

Santa Cruz Island dudleya 

(Dudleya nesiotica) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - T (1997) 

General Habitat: ·Coastal Bluff Scrub 

Santa Cruz Island dudleya is a succulent perennial in the stonecrop family 

(Crassulaceae) with a basal rosette of leaves, and a flower stalk of white flowers with 

erect petals. It grows on sea bluffs and coastal terraces near Fraser Point on the west end 

of Santa Cruz Island. It is known from only one extensive population that occupies 

about 32 acres. The population is estimated to be between 30,000 and 65,000 plants. The 

majority of Santa Cruz Island is owned and managed by TNC. Santa Cruz Island dudleya 

is vulnerable to soil loss, herbivory by feral pigs, and disturbance by pig rooting. 

In 1997, TNC drafted operating principles and ecological goals for the biological 

management of Santa Cruz Island. Island managers and resource specialists have 

recognized that island habitats have been substantially altered by historic activities, 

including impacts from feral pigs and grazing animals, invasion by non-native plant 

species, and changes in historic fire regimes. As drafted, the principles and goals 

recognize that plant and animal species are linked to ecological communities that are 

strongly influenced by complex ecological processes that have been severely stressed. 

Managers will adaptively manage the populations, and over time expect to improve the 

integrity of the island’s ecosystems and associated rare species. The USFWS completed a 

recovery plan for Santa Cruz Island dudleya and twelve other island plants in 1999. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Cruz Island dudleya: Stable to Declining. 

Santa Monica 

Mountains dudleya 

Santa Cruz Island 

dudleya 


Laguna Beach 

dudleya 

Santa Barbara 

Island dudleya 

Santa Ana River 

woolly-star 

Laguna Beach dudleya 

(Dudleya stolonifera) 

CA - R (1979); T (1987) 

FED - T (1998) 



Coastal Scrub 


Laguna Beach dudleya is a succulent perennial in the stonecrop family 

(Crassulaceae) with basal leaves and a short flower stalk of yellow-green flowers. The 

global distribution is restricted to steep, north-facing cliffs in canyons near Laguna 

Beach, Orange County. It is known from nine occurrences, all but one on privately 

owned land. DFG has no recent information on the status of this species. 

In October 1993, a wildland fire burned habitat of Laguna Beach dudleya. Post-fire 

hydromulching and seeding were mistakenly undertaken at the DFG’s Laguna Laurel 

Ecological Reserve. Biologists monitored the population in 1994 and 1995 to determine 

the whether these post-fire rehabilitation treatments inhibited reestablishment of 

Laguna Beach dudleya in the burned area; no definite conclusions were drawn. The 

populations appear to have survived the treatments. This species is covered in the 

Orange County Central-Coastal NCCP. 

The status in 1999 of Laguna Beach dudleya: Unknown. 

Santa Barbara Island dudleya 

(Dudleya traskiae) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1978) 


Santa Barbara Island dudleya is a small, succulent perennial in the stonecrop 

family (Crassulaceae). The plants have short stems and basal rosettes of broad, 

thickened leaves and yellow flowers on short stalks. This dudleya is endemic to Santa 

Barbara Island, the smallest of California’s Channel Islands, and is restricted to steep, 

rocky slopes and outcrops within canyons. It is found in the coastal bluff scrub plant 

community and known from four populations. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Barbara Island dudleya: Stable. 

Santa Ana River woolly-star 

(Eriastrum densifolium ssp. sanctorum) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - E (1987) 

General Habitat: Alluvial Scrub 

Santa Ana River woolly-star is a much-branched, erect, bright blue flowered, 

perennial herb of the phlox family (Polemoniaceae). It occurs in the sandy soils of river 

flood plains or terraced alluvial deposits in the Santa Ana River drainage. Historically, it 

was known to extend along 60 river miles in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino 

counties, but now plants occupy only about 18 linear miles of river floodplain along the 

Santa Ana River mainstem, City Creek, and Plunge Creek. Populations exhibiting 

intermediate characteristics between the subspecies sanctorum and a more widespread 

subspecies occur in the vicinity of Lytle and Cajon washes. 

The biggest threat to the continued existence of the Santa Ana River woolly-star 


stems from the construction of the Seven Oaks dam, currently in progress, which will 

substantially reduce historic floodplain areas necessary to support the species. Without 

habitat-rejuvenating flooding events, open, sandy substrates eventually will close in 

with vegetation, which is anticipated to make these areas eventually unsuitable for 

woolly-stars. Intensive management may be needed to artificially simulate flooding 

events that scour and deposit fresh sands. The species is also directly threatened by sand 

and gravel mining, which removes large areas of intact habitat, alters river hydrology, 

fragments remaining populations and generates dust which is believed to reduce 

pollination activity and speed up the expansion of competing vegetation. Considerable 

scientific information has been obtained on woolly-star pollinators, which are essential 

to seed production. An array of pollinators have been identified, including giant flower 

loving flies, sphinx moths, digger bees, hummingbirds and others. 

Landowners, land managers, regulatory agencies and interested stakeholders 

have been meeting over the past two years to develop a consensus-based land use 

strategy for the Santa Ana River alluvial fan, which supports most of the remaining 

stands of Santa Ana River woolly-star, slender-horned spineflower (Dodecahema 

leptoceras), and other rare plant and animal species. The aim of this effort is to develop a 

reserve design that protects the most important habitat areas while consolidating sand 

and gravel extraction and water spreading activities. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Ana River woolly-star: Declining. 

Tracy’s eriastrum 

(Eriastrum tracyi) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 



Tracy’s eriastrum is a slender, brittle annual in the phlox family (Polemoniaceae). 

It grows a half foot high and produces light blue to white flowers in the spring. Tracy’s 

eriastrum occurs in open, dry gravelly flats within closed-cone forest, chaparral, and 

serpentine scrub. Fewer than 20 Tracy’s eriastrum occurrences are known. Its range 

includes Trinity, Tehama, Glenn, Lake, Colusa, and Santa Clara counties. 

A taxonomic revision indicates that this species should be included in the species 

Eriastrum brandegeae, an equally rare taxon. Extant occurrences are being degraded by 

OHV activity, cattle grazing, and recreational use. Up-to-date information is lacking for 

several occurrences, and field surveys are needed. Site ownership is both private and 

public (BLM and USFS). There are no active management programs or protection plans 

for Tracy’s eriastrum. More studies are needed to evaluate this species’ population trend. 

The status in 1999 of Tracy’s eriastrum: Unknown. 

Indian Knob mountainbalm 

(Eriodictyon altissimum) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1995) 


Indian Knob mountainbalm, a member of the waterleaf family 

(Hydrophyllaceae), is a tall, evergreen shrub with dark green, sticky leaves, and clusters 

of tubular pale lavender flowers. This shrub is restricted to a limited area in the coastal 

region of San Luis Obispo County. It grows on shallow, sandy soils derived from 

siliceous sandstone in chamise chaparral, maritime chaparral, and coastal sage scrub. 

Indian Knob mountainbalm is known from six occurrences, one of which was not seen 

when it was last searched for in 1985. A conservation easement was acquired and will be 

Tracy’s eriastrum 

Indian Knob 

mountainbalm 


Lompoc yerba 

santa 

Trinity buckwheat 

given to the City of San Luis Obispo to conserve Indian Knob, which supports a 

population of Indian Knob mountainbalm and Pismo clarkia (Clarkia speciosa ssp. 

immaculata). The DFG has no other recent observation information for this species. 

Protection measures for Indian Knob mountainbalm are included in USFWS’s Recovery 

Plan for Morro Shoulderband Snail and Four Plants form Western San Luis Obispo County, 

California, completed in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Indian Knob mountainbalm: Unknown. 

Lompoc yerba santa 

(Eriodictyon capitatum) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - PE (1998) 


Central Maritime Chaparral 

Lompoc yerba santa is an evergreen shrub with smooth, sticky leaves, and 

branched inflorescences of tubular, lavender flowers. It is in the waterleaf family 

(Hydrophyllaceae). This species is found in small populations at about 10 sites in the 

Santa Ynez Mountains, the Solomon Hills, and on Burton Mesa in Santa Barbara County. 

Communities in which it occurs are chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and closed-cone 

Bishop pine forest. At least three sites occur on Vandenberg Air Force Base; the rest are 

on private lands. None are protected. 

Populations on Vandenberg Air Force Base are subjected to an intensive 

prescribed fire program to reduce fire risks. Reproduction of Lompoc yerba santa from 

seed following fire events has not been occurring; however some stems resprouted 

after a recent burn. Prescribed burning outside of the normal fire season may result in 

higher mortality of plants and seeds. 

The status in 1999 of Lompoc yerba santa : Stable to Declining. 

Trinity buckwheat 

(Eriogonum alpinum) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Alpine Rock Fields 

Subalpine Conifer Forest 

Trinity buckwheat is a short, perennial herb in the buckwheat family 

(Polygonaceae). The plants are covered with a dense white felt and bear clusters of 

yellow flowers on short leafless stems. This buckwheat grows on subalpine ridges and 

slopes in the vicinity of the Scott and Eddy Mountains in Siskiyou and Trinity counties. 

It is restricted to ultrabasic rocks with serpentinitic talus and scree slopes and very little 

soil development. The plants prefer talus slopes where the rocks are a few inches in 

diameter. They are not found on sites composed of either larger (cobbles and boulders) 

or smaller (gravel or sand) material, or where soils are well developed. 

Due to the rocky, alpine habitat of Trinity buckwheat, there are few threats to 

it. All known occurrences are managed by the Klamath and Shasta-Trinity National 

Forests and periodically monitored as part of their sensitive plant program. The lack of 

commercial timber and steep alpine slopes precludes impacts from timber harvesting or 

grazing activities. Limited threats may occur from mining, although most sites are very 

difficult to access. The last mining operation in the area was abandoned in 1988, and no 

future mining activities are currently planned. 

The status in 1999 of Trinity buckwheat: Stable. 


Ione buckwheat 

(Eriogonum apricum var. apricum) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - E (1999) 


Ione buckwheat is a compact, erect, herbaceous perennial in the buckwheat 

family (Polygonaceae) with felt-covered lower leaves on short stems and white flowers 

with reddish midribs. It is confined to the gravelly kaolinitic clay soils of the Ione 

formation in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Amador County. 

While portions of two populations have been protected on small preserves (less 

than 100 acres) owned by the State and federal governments, the overall status of the 

species is unknown due to lack of access to private properties on which the majority of 

the populations occur. Most of the known populations are within areas on these 

properties that are being mined for clay and other mineral resources. As far as is known, 

no systematic approach to reintroduction or avoidance is being conducted at present to 

mitigate for mining losses. Development of housing and mining continues to result in 

habitat loss for this species. 

The status in 1999 of Ione buckwheat: Unknown. 

Irish Hill buckwheat 

(Eriogonum apricum var. prostratum) 

CA - R (1981); E (1987) 

FED - E (1999) 


Irish Hill buckwheat is a prostrate, perennial herb in the buckwheat family 

(Polygonaceae) with reddish-veined white flowers. This buckwheat grows on the Ione 

formation in a soil composed of gravelly kaolinitic clay of high acidity and high 

aluminum content. The two known populations occur in open barren areas within the 

Ione chaparral plant community on Irish Hill and Carbondale Mesa in Amador County. 

Both sites are on private property and the development of housing and mining 

continues to result in habitat loss for this species. OHV activity also impacts the plant. 

A portion of one of these populations is within an area that currently is being 

mined. The occupied habitat is marked on the reclamation plan maps as areas to be 

avoided, but the mining activity occurs immediately adjacent to the colonies, and there 

is no fencing or posted signs to ensure that these colonies will not be inadvertently lost 

due to mining activity. The reclamation plan calls for transplantation to mitigate for 

the loss of any of this population. The DFG has recently met with the representatives of 

the mining company and the landowner to start to address how mining can proceed 

without a net loss in habitat or population size. 

The status in 1999 of Irish Hill buckwheat: Unknown. 

Butterworth’s buckwheat 

(Eriogonum butterworthianum) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Butterworth’s buckwheat is a low, spreading, woody perennial herb in the 

buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) with reddish-brown leaves covered by white felt on 

both surfaces and small, yellowish flowers with reddish midribs. It resides in dry 

Ione buckwheat 

Irish Hill 

buckwheat 

Butterworth’s 

buckwheat 


Conejo buckwheat 

Thorne’s 

buckwheat 

sandstone outcrops and crevices within chaparral or mixed evergreen forests in the 

Santa Lucia Mountains near the headwaters of the Arroyo Seco River in Monterey 

County. The four known occurrences of this species are on USFS land. 

Three occurrences of Butterworth’s buckwheat were seen in 1994. Cattle have 

continued to graze throughout the habitat, without apparent damage to Butterworth’s 

buckwheat populations. Little information is available on the ecology or population 

biology of this species. Updated surveys and a management plan are needed. There is a 

lack of information regarding the trend of this species, but the trend may be one of 

stability due to lack of significant threats. 

The status in 1999 of Butterworth’s buckwheat: Unknown 

Conejo buckwheat 

(Eriogonum crocatum) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Coastal Scrub 


Conejo buckwheat, a member of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae), is a 

short, loosely branched, woolly perennial with bright sulfur-yellow flowers. 

Populations are usually found on dry slopes of volcanic rock within coastal sage scrub 

and chaparral plant communities. About a dozen occurrences of this species are 

known; these are restricted to Conejo Grade and Long Grade of the Santa Monica 

Mountains in Ventura County. Most are very small and on private lands. Threats 

include residential development in the area, rock quarrying, and trampling by hikers. 

The status in 1999 of Conejo buckwheat: Declining. 

Thorne’s buckwheat 

(Eriogonum ericifolium var. thornei) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Pinyon and Juniper Woodland 

Thorne’s buckwheat, a low spreading subshrub in the buckwheat family 

(Polygonaceae), has leaves which are felty below and soft-shaggy above, and bears 

white flowers in a compact flower stalk. It is found in the pinyon-juniper woodland 

community of two canyons in the New York Mountains of the eastern Mojave Desert 

in San Bernardino County. It grows on sandy loam soil derived from weathered quartz 

monzonite that is high in copper. The density and diversity of other typical desert 

plants decrease on this soil type. 

Past mining activities have negatively impacted Thorne’s buckwheat, and 

because mining claims exist in the species’ habitat, there is potential for renewed 

mining activity which could threaten this plant. Several grazing allotments exist in the 

region, but the effects of livestock on this species are likely minimal, since the plants 

occur on ridges that are difficult to reach. All of the Thorne’s buckwheat occurrences 

are located in BLM’s New York Mountains ACEC. Although 19 mining claims made 

prior to 1985 are still in effect, BLM has withdrawn the area from future mining claims, 

and BLM also plans to monitor the effects of grazing on the habitat. Monitoring and 

subsequent protection efforts should help to stabilize this species. 

The status in 1999 of Thorne’s buckwheat: Stable. 


Santa Barbara Island buckwheat 

(Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Santa Barbara Island buckwheat is a rounded, shrubby, white-woolly perennial 

in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) with stout flowering stems and small white 

flowers in a dense, horizontal flower stalk. It grows on rocky sea bluffs and within the 

coastal grasslands on Santa Barbara Island and Sutil Island, which are part of Channel 

Islands National Park. One population is located on Sutil Island and about a dozen are 

known from Santa Barbara Island. 

In the past, grazing by goats and rabbits, soil erosion caused by these animals, and 

plant collecting seriously threatened Santa Barbara Island buckwheat. Shortly after 

acquiring Santa Barbara Island, NPS eliminated the introduced exotic herbivores and, as 

a result, the native vegetation is recovering. NPS supported a monitoring program, 

funded in part by a federal Section 6 Grant from USFWS, that was conducted from 1985 

to 1989. During this period, nine of 11 sites were monitored. Numbers of individuals 

increased at some sites and decreased at others, with the total population at nine sites 

estimated to be fewer than 4,000 individuals. Current information on these populations 

is needed. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Barbara Island buckwheat: Unknown. 

San Nicolas Island buckwheat 

(Eriogonum grande var. timorum) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 


San Nicolas Island buckwheat is a short, white-woolly perennial from a woody 

base with wavy or curled leaves and clusters of white flowers. It is in the buckwheat 

family (Polygonaceae). This subspecies is endemic to the east and southeastern slopes of 

San Nicolas Island, one of California’s Channel Islands. Plants are found in a variety of 

habitats, including exposed sandstone ridgetops and slopes, coastal flats, and sandy 

canyon walls and bottoms. 

Sheep ranching practices at the turn of the century diminished many native 

species, including San Nicolas Island buckwheat, and encouraged the spread of invasive 

nonnative species. The U.S. Navy has owned the island since 1933, and has conducted 

operations and construction projects that have modified the island’s vegetation over the 

years. Currently, the Navy’s Environmental Division reviews all land use plans and 

activities that may affect sensitive species. Surveys were conducted in 1992 to determine 

the distribution, habitat preference and population status of this species. Regular 

removal of introduced species of buckwheat is conducted to prevent potential 

hybridization with San Nicolas Island buckwheat. 

The status in 1999 of San Nicolas Island buckwheat: Stable. 

Kellogg’s buckwheat 

(Eriogonum kelloggii) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 


Santa Barbara 

Island buckwheat 

San Nicolas Island 

buckwheat 


Twisselmann’s 

buckwheat 

Congdon’s woolly 

sunflower 

Kellogg’s buckwheat, a member of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae), is a low, 

spreading, loosely-matted perennial, with short, erect inflorescences bearing white 

flowers with reddish midribs. This species is known only from the Red Mountain and 

Little Red Mountain areas of Mendocino County. It occurs on serpentine soil found in 

open rocky areas within montane coniferous forest. Among its associates is McDonald’s 

rock cress (Arabis macdonaldiana), which is State and federally listed as endangered. 

Kellogg’s buckwheat is known from fewer than 10 occurrences. 

Much of Red Mountain is administered by BLM, but because of chromium and 

nickel deposits, extensive mining claims exist. Although the region has been recognized 

by BLM as an ACEC, it remains open to mining and the rare plants are unprotected. 

Further studies are being conducted to determine the location and size of existing 

Kellogg’s buckwheat colonies and their associates on Red Mountain serpentines. 

Populations of this species occur on private land and on BLM land, and a small area of 

this species’ habitat occurs within the DFG’s Little Red Mountain Ecological Reserve. 

The status in 1999 of Kellogg’s buckwheat: Stable. 

Twisselmann’s buckwheat 

(Eriogonum twisselmannii) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Upper Montane Conifer Forest 

Twisselmann’s buckwheat, a member of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae), 

is a loosely-matted, woody perennial with erect flowering stems and clusters of yellowbrown 

to reddish-brown flowers. It grows on open, granitic outcrops in the red fir 

forest community of the southern Sierra Nevada. It is endemic to Slate Mountain and 

the Needles in Sequoia National Forest. There are about 13 occurrences. All 

Twisselmann’s buckwheat populations occur on USFS land. 

The status in 1999 of Twisselmann’s buckwheat: Stable. 

Congdon’s woolly sunflower 

(Eriophyllum congdonii) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 



Lower Montane 

Conifer Forest 

Congdon’s woolly sunflower is an erect, freely branched annual with heads of 

yellow flowers. It is in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and occurs on dry ridges of 

metamorphic rock, scree, and talus within chaparral and oak woodlands of the Merced 

River Canyon in Mariposa County. There are less than thirty occurrences, all within 

the Sierra or Stanislaus National Forests or near the western boundary of Yosemite 

National Park. Most of the occurrences on the Sierra NF are in remote areas or in areas 

managed for dispersed recreation and no timber harvest. Only one occurrence on the 

Stanislaus NF is in a remote area; the rest are in areas subject to timber harvest or 

mining. The Yosemite NP populations at Rancheria Flat are subject to potential 

development and other disturbances. 

The status in 1999 of Congdon’s woolly sunflower: Stable. 


San Mateo woolly sunflower 

(Eriophyllum latilobum) 

CA - E (1992) 

FED - E (1995) 


San Mateo woolly sunflower is a late spring-flowering, short-lived herbaceous 

perennial in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) with golden flowers. It occurs in 

openings in live oak woodland. San Mateo woolly sunflower is a highly restricted 

endemic whose distribution is limited to several hundred individuals in less than a dozen 

scattered subpopulations in the Crystal Springs area of San Mateo County. 

The steep slopes on which the plants grow are subject to erosion and soil slippage. 

One occurrence is immediately above a road, and road maintenance crews periodically 

reshape the slope. In addition, the lower portion of the slope is mowed periodically to 

reduce fuel loading. These and other road maintenance activities could inadvertently 

damage or eliminate San Mateo woolly sunflower plants. 

This plant was the subject of a recovery workshop conducted by the DFG in 

cooperation with USFWS. To protect San Mateo woolly sunflower from extinction, 

existing populations should be protected, and reintroduction of this species into suitable 

habitat may be an appropriate recovery strategy. Management and recovery actions for 

the species have been addressed in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of 

the San Francisco Bay Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of San Mateo woolly sunflower: Declining. 

San Diego button-celery 

(Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1993) 

General habitat: Vernal Pools 

San Diego button-celery, a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae), is an 

herbaceous perennial with heads of greenish flowers and spine-tipped bract margins at 

the base of the flower stalk. This species is restricted in California to vernal pools and 

vernally moist areas in San Diego and Riverside counties; it is also known from Baja 

California Norte. Associated State-listed species include San Diego mesa mint (Pogogyne 

abramsii), California Orcutt grass (Orcuttia californica), and Otay mesa mint (Pogogyne 

nudiuscula). Landowners are DOD, San Diego County, the City of San Diego (Chollas 

Park), CALTRANS, TNC, and other private landowners. Although this species was 

known from almost 80 occurrences, fewer than half are still in existence. Protection 

measures for San Diego button-celery are provided in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for 

Vernal Pools of Southern California, released in 1998. 

This species is covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company Subregional 

NCCP, a linear NCCP from Orange County to the Mexican Border. This species also will 

likely be covered in the San Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation Program NCCP to be 

finalized in the next few years. 

The status in 1999 of San Diego button-celery: Declining. 

Loch Lomond button-celery 

(Eryngium constancei) 

CA -E (1987) 

FED - E (1986) 


San Diego 

button-celery 

Loch Lomond 

button-celery 


Delta button-celery 

Loch Lomond button-celery is a slender, herbaceous annual in the carrot family 

(Apiaceae). The plants are covered with fine hairs, and produce open inflorescences of 

tiny white to light purple flowers. This species grows in the bed of a small vernal lake, 

surrounded by a ponderosa pine and black oak forest, in the DFG’s Loch Lomond 

Ecological Reserve in Lake County. Another population of Loch Lomond button-celery 

was discovered in 1996 in two spring-fed, shallow pools in Sonoma County. A berm has 

been built to prevent runoff into the pools at this location from increased 

sedimentation due to logging in the area. A third population was discovered in Lake 

County in 1997. This population was threatened by soil erosion into its pool habitat due 

to vegetation removal along the edges; it is also risk from planned reservoir 

construction. 

The status in 1999 of Loch Lomond button-celery: Stable. 

Delta button-celery 

(Eryngium racemosum) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Riparian Scrub 

Subalkaline Swales 

Delta button-celery, a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae), is a slender, 

prostrate herb with greenish, rounded flower heads. It occurs on clay soils on sparsely 

vegetated margins of seasonally flooded flood plains and swales. Periodic flooding 

maintains the species’ habitat through sustenance of seasonal wetlands and reduction 

of competition due to scouring. The historical distribution of Delta button-celery 

includes Calaveras, Merced, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties. Currently known 

populations occur on private land, USFWS National Wildlife Refuges, and the DFG’s 

North Grasslands and Los Baños Wildlife Areas. 

About a fourth of the approximately 27 historically known Delta button-celery 

occurrences have been extirpated by flood control activities and conversion of 

lowlands to agriculture, including all of the occurrences in San Joaquin County and 

most in Stanislaus County. Most of this species’ remaining occurrences are in Merced 

County along the historical floodplain of the San Joaquin River. Friant Dam on the San 

Joaquin River and an extensive levee system have greatly reduced the frequency and 

intensity of flooding of Delta button-celery’s floodplain habitat. 

In the early 1990s, the DFG funded studies of Delta button-celery at the North 

Grasslands Wildlife Area in Merced County. The DFG has continued to survey and 

monitor populations there. Winter flooding was determined to be critical to the 

survival of Delta button-celery. During the 1986-94 drought, Delta button-celery 

populations in the San Joaquin River floodplain were greatly reduced. During the wet 

years of 1995 to 1997, populations increased in numbers and area occupied, particularly 

after the major flooding in January of 1997. 

Population locations and population characteristics differ in dry and wet years. 

In dry years, many populations occur only as annual plants. A strong population of 

plants that were perennial during the drought disappeared during wet years. Successful 

conservation of the species will require protection and maintenance of habitat with a 

variety of hydrological regimes. A DFG project to enhance and restore historical 

wetland habitat at the North Grasslands Wildlife Area may affect Delta button-celery 

populations there. The DFG is seeking to minimize negative impacts and maximize 

benefits to Delta button-celery. 

The status in 1999 of Delta button-celery: Stable to Declining. 


Contra Costa wallflower 

(Erysimum capitatum var. angustatum) 

CA - E (1978) 

FED - E (1978) 

General Habitat: Island Dunes 

Contra Costa wallflower, a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), is a 

coarse-stemmed, erect, herbaceous biennial herb with yellowish-orange flowers. Its 

distinctive habitat consists of stabilized interior sand dunes that currently are densely 

covered with herbs, grasses, and shrubs. Only two populations remain, both at the 70acre 

Antioch Dunes along the San Joaquin River, near Antioch in Contra Costa County. 

The area is mainly protected as by USFWS at Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge 

and by PG&E on its adjoining property. 

Sand mining, industrial development, discing for fire control, and OHV activities 

have left this wallflower on the verge of extinction. The Antioch Dunes Refuge was 

closed to public use in 1988 to reduce erosion caused by trespass and OHVs. A recovery 

plan for this species and two other species endemic to the Antioch Dunes, prepared by 

USFWS, calls for enhancement of existing populations of Contra Costa wallflower and 

establishment of new populations within its historic range. PG&E designed and paid for 

enhancement at the Antioch Dunes which was conducted by USFWS. 

Research on the Antioch Dunes populations had determined that, although 

Contra Costa wallflower is capable of producing large amounts of seed, seed production 

can be substantially reduced by environmental limitations such as low pollination rates 

and seed predation by insects. This species retains a large seed bank in the soil and shows 

some ability to grow on the clay substrate that remains in areas where overlying sand 

has been stripped away. However, an attempt to experimentally establish plants on this 

clay substrate was unsuccessful. The USFWS is currently preparing a management plan 

for the Antioch Dunes, with the goal of increasing the viability of Antioch Dunes 

evening-primrose and Contra Costa wallflower. 

The status in 1999 of Contra Costa wallflower: Stable to Declining. 

Menzies’ Wallflower 

(Erysimum menziesii) 

CA -E (1984) 

FED - E (1992) 


Menzies’ wallflower is a biennial or perennial herb with clusters of bright yellow 

flowers. This member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) is found on partially 

stabilized sand dunes. USFWS recognizes three subspecies of Menzies’ wallflower: 

Menzies (Erysimum menziesii ssp. menziesii), Humboldt Bay wallflower (E. m. ssp. 

eurekense), and Yadon’s wallflower (E. m. ssp. yadonii). The entire distribution is restricted 

to three coastal dune systems in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Monterey counties. 

Ownership is divided between BLM, DPR, TNC, City of Eureka, and private parties. 

Urbanization and industrialization of California’s coast have eliminated many 

dune communities, and few undisturbed dune regions remain. Most of the remaining 

populations on the Humboldt County and Mendocino County coastline are threatened 

by invasive, non-native species such as ice plant and European beach grass. 

In 1998, USFWS analyzed the results of a survey conducted by TNC in 1997 of the 

plants (E. m. ssp. eurekense) on the North Spit of Humboldt Bay. That population had 

increased 43 percent since 1988. The increase was not uniform, and some populations 

had declined during the 9-year period. An endemic fungus known as white crucifer rust, 

which infests Menzies’ wallflower around Humboldt Bay, was seen to decrease over the 

9-year period. A complete census of the North and South Spits will be conducted again 

in 2003 or 2004. In 1998, a previously unknown population of approximately 500 plants 

was found on the Elk River spit in Humboldt County. OHV tracks and invasive species 

Contra Costa 

wallflower 

Menzies’ 

Wallflower 


Santa Cruz 

wallflower 

are present on the site. The population does not appear to be infected with white 

crucifer rust. 

DPR is planning a ten-foot wide trail through Menzies’ wallflower habitat at 

Ten Mile Dunes/MacKerricher State Park, although mitigation measures will be 

required. Menzies’ wallflower has been particularly decimated in the Monterey area 

due to residential development, sand mining, and foot traffic, and most of the six 

remaining populations there are severely threatened by deer browsing. However, DPR 

has done an excellent job of restoring populations on state parks in Monterey. At 

Asilomar State Beach (where it is E. m. ssp. menziesii), DPR installs cages over 500 plants 

per year to protect them from grazing. In 1986, there were 200 plants at Asilomar, and 

in 1998, there were over 8,000 due to habitat restoration and protection activities. 

Habitat restoration at Marina State Beach (where it is E. m. ssp. yadonii) has resulted in an 

increase from less than 100 plants in 1985 to over 7,000 in 1994 (the last year for which 

numbers are available), and habitat restoration is continuing. However, many plants 

were lost from private lands north of Marina due to erosion caused by El Niño storms in 

February and March of 1998. The USFWS completed a recovery plan for Menzies’ 

wallflower and six other coastal plants in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Menzies’ wallflower: Stable to Declining. 

Santa Cruz wallflower 

(Erysimum teretifolium) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - E (1994) 


Santa Cruz wallflower, a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), is an 

erect, usually simple-stemmed, herbaceous short-lived perennial, with orangish yellow 

flowers. Its range is restricted to inland ponderosa pine sandhills near Felton, Ben 

Lomond, and Bonny Doon in Santa Cruz County. The habitat, which contains a 

combination of deep, coarse, and poorly developed dry soils in a relatively humid 

coastal climate, is rare in California. 

Distribution of this species is highly correlated with deep sands which are 

valuable for mining. Only three populations are protected. The first is owned by the 

DFG at the Bonny Doon Ecological Reserve. The second population is on a parcel 

owned by the DFG and managed by the County as part of Quail Hollow Ranch County 

Park. The third population is at Quail Hollow Quarry. In 1998, the DFG and Santa Cruz 

County closed escrow on the largest block of habitat on the South Ridge at Quail 

Hollow Quarry; in addition, conservation easements were put over the west and north 

ridges of the quarry. These three ridges include the entire population of wallflower at 

the Quarry. These areas are managed under the terms of an HCP which covers Santa 

Cruz wallflower as well as Ben Lomond spineflower (Chorizanthe pungens var. 

hartwegiana), Zayante band-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis infantilis) and Mount 

Hermon June beetle (Polyphylla barbata). Research is ongoing to investigate the 

relationship between the listed species and exotic annual plant species, all of which 

respond positively to disturbance. In 1998, USFWS released a recovery plan on Santa 

Cruz wallflower and Scotts Valley spineflower (C. robusta var. hartwegii), the two 

previously mentioned insect species, and Scotts Valley polygonum (Polygonum 

hickmanii). 

The status in 1999 of Santa Cruz wallflower: Stable to Declining. 


Pine Hill flannelbush 

(Fremontodendron decumbens) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - E (1996) 



Pine Hill flannelbush, a member of the cacao family (Sterculiaceae), is a lowgrowing, 

many-branched, spreading shrub with bright orange and yellow-orange 

flowers. It grows on reddish clay soils derived from gabbro. It is found in chaparral and 

black oak woodland of Pine Hill and on a few Sierra Nevada foothill ridges within one 

mile of Pine Hill in El Dorado County. Three State and federally listed rare plants grow 

in the same general areas as this species: El Dorado bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. 

sierrae), Pine Hill ceanothus (Ceanothus roderickii), and Layne’s butterweed (Senecio 

layneae). Approximately six occurrences of Pine Hill flannelbush are known. The largest 

is on Pine Hill, with the majority of the plants occurring on private property or on 

property managed by CDF. Plants on the private properties have recently been lost as a 

result of construction of homes and access roads and logging activities. 

CDF manages its land on Pine Hill primarily as a telecommunications facility. 

Potential to expand these facilities or inadvertent losses due to maintenance activities 

threaten the flannelbush on this property. Some of the plants within this occurrence 

are protected on the DFG’s 240-acre Pine Hill Ecological Reserve. There is also a small 

protected occurrence on land owned by BLM on the ridge to the north of Pine Hill. 

Four occurrences are on private lands nearby, and it is difficult to assess their status. It 

appears likely that at least two of these occurrences have been extirpated. 

The DFG is working with federal and local agencies and private parties to 

establish a system of five preserves in the gabbro soil formation in El Dorado County to 

protect the high concentration of listed plant species that occur in this area. The goal is 

to protect 3,400 acres, about half of which is existing public lands, including the lands on 

the Pine Hill Ecological Reserve. The lands that are currently private would be acquired 

or protected under conservation easements with willing participants. 

One population of the flannelbush occurs near Grass Valley in Nevada County 

on a county dump property. The dump has been closed for several years, although it is 

still used as a transfer station. As of 1994, the population was fenced and signed. 

Stebbins’ morning glory (Calystegia stebbinsii), a State and federally listed endangered 

species, also occurs in this area. 


Sierra Nevada Foothills that addresses recovery needs for Pine Hill flannelbush. 

The status in 1999 of Pine Hill flannelbush: Declining. 

Mexican flannelbush 

(Fremontodendron mexicanum) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - E (1998) 


Chaparral 

Mexican flannelbush, a member of the cacao family (Sterculiaceae), is a stiff, 

robust, tree-like shrub with bright orange flowers. It is currently restricted to the 

chaparral and cypress woodland plant community in Cedar Canyon on Otay Mesa in 

San Diego County, where it grows in the canyon bottoms. It once may have extended 

across the border into northern Baja California Norte, Mexico, but no plants have been 

seen there for years. This flannelbush is a showy plant that is used as a drought-tolerant 

ornamental shrub in gardens. 

Although no known Mexican flannelbush have burned in decades, the habitat 

of Mexican flannelbush is subject to human-caused fires which may occur too 

Pine Hill 

flannelbush 

Mexican 

flannelbush 


Roderick’s fritillary 

frequently to permit regrowth and reproduction of this chaparral species should the 

areas supporting the plants be burned. The potential for reproduction after fire is also 

an unknown. Occurrences of Mexican flannelbush are owned by BLM and private 

landowners. At the present time there are no specific management plans for this 

species. 

The status in 1999 of Mexican flannelbush: Declining. 

Roderick’s fritillary 

(Fritillaria roderickii) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 



Roderick’s fritillary, a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), is a slender 

perennial that arises from a bulb, with narrow, basal leaves and nodding, greenishbrown 

to purplish-brown flowers. This showy wildflower is found in heavy clay soils 

in the oak woodland community near Boonville and in coastal prairies near sea bluffs 

south of Point Arena, Mendocino County. 

Only five native occurrences of Roderick’s fritillary have been known, one of 

which is extirpated. One is in the Boonville Cemetery, with approximately 340 plants 

at last count reported to the DFG (1992). One, near the coast and privately owned with a 

portion in a CALTRANS right-of-way, was partially destroyed during work to improve 

State Highway 1; some plants were transplanted in 1985 during construction. None of 

those plants survived. CALTRANS now works to avoid impacts to the plants within its 

right-of-way at this location. Another population, first reported in 1992 from private 

land and consisting of 1000 plants, had declined sharply by 1998. The DFG’s most recent 

information from the fifth population dates from 1991, when ten plants were observed. 

There are no management plans for the species. 

The status in 1999 of Roderick’s fritillary: Declining. 

Striped adobe lily 

(Fritillaria striata) 

CA - T (1987) 

FED - None 



Striped adobe lily, a member of the lily family (Liliaceae), is a slender, bulbous 

perennial with fragrant, white to pink bell-shaped flowers with burgundy stripes. It 

grows on heavy clay soils in open annual grasslands and blue oak woodlands of the 

southern Sierra Nevada foothills of eastern Tulare and Kern counties. At least 18 extant 

populations are known. The known populations are scattered through the species’ 

range. All populations occur on private land. 

Conversion of habitat for agricultural uses has eliminated at least four 

populations of striped adobe lily. Expansion of citrus orchards threatens three 

populations at lower elevations on the slopes of Lewis Hill near Frazier Valley. 

Although heavy grazing has negatively impacted some populations, light grazing and 

avoidance during the flowering period appears to benefit the species. Road 

maintenance activities and urbanization threaten other populations. 

Controversy has developed concerning the status of this species since it was 

proposed for federal listing as threatened in 1994. Ranchers have questioned whether 

grazing could be harmful to the species since most remaining populations occur on 

ranch lands that have been grazed for many decades. Ranchers and landowners 


disputed official tabulations of the number and size of populations. A landownersupported 

survey yielded: 1) population estimates much in excess of previous estimates, 

and 2) claims that many additional populations exist. To date, however, documentation 

of population numbers and new occurrences have not been shared with USFWS or 

reported to the DFG’s Natural Diversity Date Base. Thus, resource agencies have been 

constrained from making informed decisions about the status of the species. In 1997, 

USFWS convened a mediated group of landowners, ranchers, and federal, State, and 

local officials, but so far, the issue has not been resolved. 

The status in 1999 of striped adobe lily: Unknown. 

Borrego bedstraw 

(Galium angustifolium ssp. borregoense) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Sonoran Desert Scrub 

Borrego bedstraw is a slender, low-growing perennial in the madder family 

(Rubiaceae) with wiry, square stems that are woody at the base and with a pyramidal 

cluster of yellowish flowers. It is found primarily on north-facing steep walls and rocky 

slopes of canyons and on hillsides in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in eastern San 

Diego County. 

Surveys conducted in the spring of 1998 by the DPR as part of the preparation of 

a Resource Inventory for Anza-Borrego Desert State Park found Borrego bedstraw at 22 

locations, primarily within the Culp Valley - Hellhole Canyon region, the Granite 

Mountain region, and the Pinyon Mountain area. Additional studies are needed to 

better understand the ecology and reproductive biology of Borrego bedstraw. 

Continued monitoring of the known populations would help provide information 

necessary for the development of a management strategy. Within Anza-Borrego Desert 

State Park, there are moderate threats to approximately one-third of the known 

populations from camping, hiking and vehicular activities. Although historical records 

are lacking, it is probable that this subspecies has always been rare. 

The status in 1999 of Borrego bedstraw: Stable. 

Box bedstraw 

(Galium buxifolium) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - E (1997) 

General habitat: Coastal Bluff Scrub 

Coastal Scrub 

Closed-cone Conifer Forest 

Box bedstraw, a member of the madder family (Rubiaceae), is a stout, leafy, 

widely branching, shrubby plant with small white flowers. It grows on dry rocky bluffs 

in coastal sage scrub or closed-cone pine forest plant communities on two of the 

Channel Islands. Eight populations are known from TNC lands on Santa Cruz Island 

and two from north facing sea cliffs at San Miguel Island. Most populations consist of 

very few plants. The species is threatened by soil loss, habitat alteration, and herbivory 

from feral pig rooting and sheep grazing. TNC has removed sheep from most of Santa 

Cruz Island and is planning additional efforts to control feral pigs. NPS recently 

acquired the east end of Santa Cruz Island and is removing sheep. The USFWS 

completed a recovery plan for box bedstraw and twelve other island plants in 1999. 

The status in 1999 of box bedstraw: Declining. 

Borrego bedstraw 

Box bedstraw 


El Dorado bedstraw 

San Clemente 

Island bedstraw 

El Dorado bedstraw 

(Galium californicum ssp. sierrae) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - E (1996) 

General Habitat: Cismontane Forest 

Chaparral 

El Dorado bedstraw is a low, simple or branched, slender-stemmed, herbaceous 

perennial with pale yellow flowers at the tips of its stems. It is a member of the madder 

family (Rubiaceae). Plants are restricted to gabbro-derived soils underlying chaparral 

and black oak or live oak woodland in western El Dorado County. Four other State and 

federally listed plants occur on the gabbro soil formation: Stebbins’ morning glory 

(Calystegia stebbinsii), Pine Hill ceanothus (Ceanothus roderickii), Pine Hill flannelbush 

(Fremontodendron decumbens),and Layne’s butterweed (Senecio layneae). There are 

approximately ten known occurrences of El Dorado bedstraw. 

The largest population of this species, consisting of thousands of individuals, 

occurs in colonies in the black oak woodland on Pine Hill where rural development, 

fire wood harvesting, and large scale clearing of the woodland understory for fuel load 

management threaten this population. The majority of the second largest population, 

also in the thousands, was destroyed for a development project in Cameron Park. The 

project was approved in the late 1980s and was recently built out with no mitigation for 

impacts to rare plants. A few small colonies, typically 50 to 200 individuals, of the 

bedstraw have been discovered in the last several years in the community of Shingle 

Springs. They receive some protection from deed restrictions, but it is unknown 

whether these restrictions will be sufficient to protect these colonies in the long-term, 

particularly as they become more isolated as surrounding habitat is developed. 

The DFG is working with federal and local agencies and private parties to 

establish a system of five preserves in the gabbro soil formation that total 3,400 acres to 

protect the high concentration of State and federally listed plant species that occur in 

this area. About half of the 3,400 acres is existing public lands, including the lands on 

Pine Hill. The lands that are currently private would be acquired in fee or protected 

under conservation easements with willing participants. It is hoped that easements can 

be obtained to protect: 1) a greater proportion of the bedstraw population on Pine Hill, 

2) portions of two populations in the Cameron Park-Shingle Springs area, and 3) a 

population near the south fork of the American River, but the outcome of these efforts 

remains to be seen. 


Sierra Nevada Foothills that addresses recovery needs for El Dorado bedstraw morning 

glory. 

The status in 1999 of El Dorado bedstraw: Declining. 

San Clemente Island bedstraw 

(Galium catalinense ssp. acrispum) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Sea Cliffs 

Coastal Bluff Scrub 

San Clemente Island bedstraw is a small shrub in the madder family (Rubiaceae) 

with four small leaves in a whorl and clusters of tiny white or greenish-yellow flowers. 

It grows on steep, rocky cliffs and slopes overlooking the sea or in adjoining canyons on 

San Clemente Island, one of California’s Channel Islands. 

Feral goats and pig populations caused serious degradation of the native 

vegetation of the island. Steep, rocky slopes offered the only refuge for San Clemente 

Island bedstraw. Erosion of canyon slopes, caused in part by loss of vegetation, has 


eliminated some of the cliff refuges. The U.S. Navy, which has jurisdiction over the 

island, has removed goats and pigs as part of its Feral Animal Removal Program and 

noticeable improvements in the condition of the native vegetation have been noted 

since the completion of the program. Current management may result in a move 

toward population stability for San Clemente Island bedstraw. DFG has no recent 


The status in 1999 of San Clemente Island bedstraw: Unknown. 

Sand gilia 

(Gilia tenuiflora ssp. arenaria) 

CA - T (1987) 

FED - E (1992) 


Chaparral (openings) 

Sand gilia is a short, sticky-haired annual herb in the phlox family 

(Polemoniaceae) with a basal rosette of leaves with decumbent to semidecumbent stems 

that produces tiny purple flowers. Plants are confined to bare, wind-sheltered areas 

among the coastal sand dunes adjoining Monterey Bay and in openings in maritime 

chaparral. This species is typically found in the central dune scrub community from the 

Sunset Beach south to the Monterey Peninsula. Associated species include State-listed 

endangered Menzies’ wallflower (Erysimum menziesii ssp. menziesii) and the federally 

threatened Monterey spineflower (Chorizanthe pungens var. pungens). 

This species is known from approximately 20 populations in the dunes and 

stabilized inland dunes along Monterey Bay; two of these are large, stable populations, 

whose numbers fluctuate primarily in response to yearly precipitation. These are 

located at Fritzche Field on the Fort Ord-Marina boundary and in Sand City. The 

numbers and locations of the remaining sand gilia populations vary greatly from year to 

year in response to disturbance as well as precipitation. A substantial number of 

populations and individuals are found on Fort Ord. As a result of base closure and 

realignment of this former military training area, they are covered under a Habitat 

Management Plan approved by USFWS and the DFG. The plan, which will not be fully 

implemented for several years, allows for specified levels of development as well as setasides 

and management of habitat lands of the sand gilia. Until the Implementing 

Agreement for the plan is finalized, it is unclear whether the Fritzche Field area, one of 

the two main population bases, will be protected. The USFWS completed a recovery 

plan for sand gilia and six other coastal plants in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of sand gilia: Stable to Declining. 

Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop 

(Gratiola heterosepala) 

CA - E (1978) 

FED - None 


Lake Margins 

Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop is a small, semi-aquatic, herbaceous annual in the 

figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). It has opposite leaves, blunt, unequal sepals, and 

yellow and white flowers on short stalks. It is found in shallow waters or moist clay soils 

of vernal pools and lake margins in scattered sites from Modoc County south to Fresno 

County. One population is known from Lake County, Oregon. South of San Joaquin 

County, it has not been reported from any valley floor vernal pools, but it does occur in 

five vernal pools in the Fresno County-Madera County Table Mountain complex near 

Friant. 

Sand gilia 

Boggs Lake 

hedge-hyssop 


Algodones Dunes 

sunflower 

Red Rock tarplant 

When first described in 1954, Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop was known only from 

Boggs Lake in Lake County, and until the late 1980s, from only a limited number of 

occurrences in vernal pool habitat in the State. Surveys of vernal pool habitat in recent 

years have located many additional occurrences of this species. As of 1999, 79 

occurrences have been documented within 11 California counties, but it is not known 

how many of these occurrences remain since many were found during surveys in 

proposed project areas. Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop occurs in vernal pools on private land 

and on lands owned and managed by agencies and organizations including the DFG, 

BLM, DPR, TNC, and USFS. In addition, many of the known sites occur at the edges of 

reservoirs and stock ponds, which probably should be considered temporary habitat at 

best. 

Although the known number of occurrences of Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop has 

increased as more surveys have been conducted, its vernal pool habitat has been 

declining simultaneously. The Boggs Lake population, managed by TNC, has been 

declining yearly and is now at very low levels. Reasons for the decline are unknown; 

however negative factors such as drought, habitat invasion by weedy upland species, 

grazing by deer and horses may have all contributed to the decline. DFG’s Dales Lake 

Ecological Reserve supports a natural population and several transplanted populations 

in created vernal pools. Several other sites are known to incur varying levels of land 

disturbance that adversely affect the species, such as discing, grading, and overgrazing. 

The species tolerates light to moderate levels of grazing, but higher levels appear to be 

detrimental. 

The status in 1999 of Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop: Unknown. 

Algodones Dunes sunflower 

(Helianthus niveus ssp. tephrodes) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 

General habitat: Desert Dunes 

Algodones Dunes sunflower is a silvery-white, semi-shrubby perennial in the 

sunflower family (Asteraceae) with a woody base, large hairy leaves, and reddish-purple 

centered flowers surrounded with bright yellow rays. It occurs on unstabilized sand 

dunes in the Algodones Dunes system of Imperial County. 

Recreational OHV activity has destroyed a large portion of the vegetation in 

areas of the Algodones Dunes open to public use. A portion of the Algodones Dunes is 

designated the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness under the California Desert 

Protection Act and is closed to OHV activity. Nearly 75 percent of the dune system 

remains open to OHVs, however, which poses a major threat to the species. 

The status in 1999 of Algodones Dunes sunflower: Declining. 

Red Rock tarplant 

(Hemizonia arida) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Mojavean Desert Scrub 

Red Rock tarplant, a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), is a muchbranched, 

glandular and mildly odorous annual, with deep yellow flowers. It occurs in 

washes along ephemeral seeps and streams and on adjacent sand flats in moist, gravelly 

sand. In wetter years, it may appear at the bases and on the lower slopes of ridges and 

cliffs. There is some evidence that it may prefer soils produced by decomposition of 

rhyolitic tuffs as well as arkosic sandstones high in iron content. The species is a local 

endemic to Red Rock Canyon and adjacent south-draining canyons of the Mojave 


Desert in Kern County. There are seven occurrences scattered in the canyons around 

Red Rock Canyon State Park, one of which was discovered in Last Chance Canyon in 

1997. 

Red Rock tarplant is threatened by disruption of its habitat by OHVs, mineral 

exploration, and competition from tamarisk, a non-native tree that invades desert 

wetlands. Red Rock Canyon State Park has established two natural preserves to protect 

Red Rock tarplant, and rock barriers, signs, and patrols have been established to restrict 

OHVs from tarplant habitat. Through an MOU, the Park also has management 

responsibility for adjacent BLM lands, beyond the allowable mining managed by BLM, 

and tarplant on these lands has received additional protection. Thus, all known 

populations exist on lands managed by Red Rock Canyon State Park. The Park has 

initiated a tamarisk eradication program. 

The status in 1999 of Red Rock tarplant: Stable to increasing. 

Otay tarplant 

(Hemizonia conjugens) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - T (1998) 


Otay tarplant is an aromatic, glandular, and much-branched herbaceous annual 

with mostly solitary, yellow flower heads. This member of the sunflower family 

(Asteraceae) grows on clay soils in coastal southwestern San Diego County and 

northwestern Baja California, Mexico. It is found within coastal sage scrub and 

grassland communities in open, sometimes mildly disturbed areas. 

Only a few remaining occurrences of Otay tarplant are known from 

southwestern San Diego County, in the vicinity of San Miguel Mountain, Telegraph 

Canyon, and Otay Mesa. Residential and commercial development, as well as highway 

construction in this region have led to a serious decline of the species. Habitat 

acquisition and/or protection is urgently needed in order to conserve Otay tarplant. 

Studies of the ecology and population biology of Otay tarplant are critically needed in 

order to develop prudent recovery and management strategies for the species. The role 

of wildfire in the maintenance of habitat for Otay tarplant is a management issue that 

has been previously identified, but not studied. This species is covered in the San Diego 

Multiple Species Conservation Plan NCCP. It is also covered in the San Diego Gas & 

Electric Company Subregional NCCP, a linear NCCP from Orange County to the 

Mexican Border. 

The status in 1999 of Otay tarplant: Declining. 

Gaviota tarplant 

(Hemizonia increscens ssp. villosa) 

CA - E (1990) 

FED - PE (1998) 


Coastal Grassland 

Gaviota tarplant is a summer-flowering, aromatic annual herb in the sunflower 

family (Asteraceae). Plants are widely branched, with small, gray-green, sticky leaves, 

and heads of small yellow flowers. This tarplant is largely restricted to one extended 

population along a two-mile stretch of coastal terrace near Gaviota in Santa Barbara 

County. Recently, several small populations have been identified up the coast on 

Hollister Ranch and near Pt. Sal. It grows only on sandy loam soils of the Milpitas- 

Positas-Concepcion series that have a subsurface clay layer. These areas are dominated 

by annual grassland containing purple needle grass and scattered shrubs of the coastal 

Otay tarplant 

Gaviota tarplant 


Santa Susana 

tarplant 

Mojave tarplant 

sage scrub community. Ownership includes DPR and private landowners. The DFG 

owns and manages a 35-acre preserve and mitigation bank for the species which was 

established in 1995 with the cooperation of Chevron USA and the All American 

Pipeline Company. 

The primary threat to Gaviota tarplant stems from loss of habitat and habitat 

disturbance associated with oil and gas development. Most of the range of Gaviota 

tarplant lies within one of two county-designated Consolidated Oil and Gas 

Development Zones. In 1996, voters approved a county initiative requiring voter 

approval for any onshore oil facility proposed for locations outside the Consolidated 

Zone. As a result, the Molino Gas Project, originally planned for outside the range of 

Gaviota tarplant, was relocated to a parcel that supported the largest remaining intact 

habitat area for the species. A direct loss of four more acres of tarplant habitat has 

occurred there, further fragmenting remaining habitat areas. Project mitigation will 

include participation in the Gaviota Tarplant mitigation bank and dedication of other 

lands in the area supporting the species. 

The status in 1999 of Gaviota tarplant: Declining. 

Santa Susana tarplant 

(Hemizonia minthornii) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED -None 

General Habitat: Santa Susana Sandstone Outcrops 

Santa Susana tarplant is a perennial subshrub with slender ascending stems, 

sticky leaves, and yellow flower heads. This sunflower relative (Asteraceae) grows in 

crevices of sandstone bluffs and outcrops in chaparral and coastal sage scrub in the 

Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. There 

are over 20 recorded occurrences of this tarplant, but one-fourth of these have not 

been seen in many years and their status is unknown. Land ownership is both private 

and public (LADWP, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and Rancho Simi Park and 

Recreation District). 

Santa Susana tarplant appears to be locally common within its limited 

geographic range around Santa Susana Pass. The species’ affinity for steep, rocky 

terrain has afforded some protection for its habitat. Populations in the Santa Monica 

Mountains are far more localized and isolated. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Susana tarplant: Stable. 

Mojave tarplant 

(Hemizonia mohavensis) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - None 


Mojave tarplant is a sparsely branched, aromatic, sticky annual herb of the 

sunflower family (Asteraceae) with yellow flower heads arranged in compact clusters. 

Despite early floras that described the species as growing to 18 inches in height, it 

actually can be up to four feet in height in good conditions. This plant was 

rediscovered in 1994 at several localized sites within the Peninsular Ranges. It had not 

been seen since 1933 at the type locality on the Mojave River, although the plant had 

been collected twice at other locations but misidentified as another Hemizonia species 

after that year. 

Today Mojave tarplant is known from more than 10 highly localized 

populations in Riverside and San Diego counties. Eight populations occur on the north 

slope of the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County in grassy swales and seeps along 


low gradient stretches of intermittent streams in mountainous terrain. It typically 

occurs in clay, silty or gravelly seasonally saturated soils. It is also known from two sites 

in the Cutca Valley east of Eagle Crag Summit in San Diego County in vernally moist 

grassy areas, where it numbered over 10,000 individuals in 1995. The Riverside County 

occurrences are on the Morongo Indian Reservation and the San Bernardino National 

Forest; the San Diego County populations occur within the Cleveland National Forest. 

Unconfirmed reports indicate the species may also occur in the Cross Mountain area of 

Kern County and Red Rock State Park. 

The status in 1999 of Mojave tarplant: Stable. 

Marin western flax 

(Hesperolinon congestum) 

CA - T (1992) 

FED - T (1995) 

General Habitat: Serpentine Grassland 

Serpentine Chaparral 

Marin western flax is a delicate annual plant in the flax family (Linaceae), with 

congested clusters of small rose to whitish flowers. It is found on serpentine ridges 

covered with bunchgrass from Marin County to San Mateo County and in a serpentine 

chaparral association in Marin County. There are now 20 known existing occurrences. 

Residential development and road and freeway construction have eliminated five of 

the historically known populations of Marin western flax. 

In 1997, the DFG held two recovery workshops to address Marin western flax 

and 11 other plants known from serpentine habitats in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 

workshop participants identified invasive species such as broom, pampas grass, and 

yellow star thistle as threats to the species. The non-native weed goat grass threatens a 

population on land owned by the Marin Municipal Water District. In San Mateo 

County, a population is protected within a County Park; another population occurs on 

San Francisco Water District land. NPS, which manages two occurrences within the 

Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, is restoring one historical site 

by eradicating eucalyptus and other non-native trees. Research is needed to determine 

appropriate habitat management practices to conserve Marin western flax. 

Management and recovery actions for the species have been addressed in the USFWS’s 

Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Marin western flax: Stable to Declining. 

Lake County western flax 

(Hesperolinon didymocarpum) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - None 




Lake County western flax is an erect, narrow-stemmed, annual herb with widely 

spreading branches and open inflorescences of white to pink flowers. This member of 

the flax family (Linaceae) is known only from serpentine soils in the Big Canyon 

drainage north of Middletown, Lake County. The surrounding plant community 

includes grassland and chaparral. Presently there are six known occurrences of this 

species on serpentine islands in a six square mile area. 

Lake County western flax habitat is entirely privately owned and subject to 

moderate to heavy cattle grazing that reduces seed production in some populations. 

Increased grazing or other land use changes could seriously endanger Lake County 


Tahquitz ivesia 

western flax populations because of its restricted distribution. DFG has no recent 


The status in 1999 of Lake County western flax: Unknown. 

Santa Cruz tarplant 

(Holocarpha macradenia) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - FTP (1998) 



Santa Cruz tarplant is a spreading, aromatic and glandular annual herb in the 

sunflower family (Asteraceae) with yellow flowers in dense heads. It occurs in clay soils 

in grasslands and competes poorly with introduced annual grasses. This tarplant was 

once found in most San Francisco Bay Area counties and south to Monterey County. 

Development has resulted in the extirpation of all natural populations in the counties 

surrounding the Bay. The last of these was destroyed in 1993. The species is now limited 

to 12 natural occurrences in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. 

In 1982, seed salvaged from a development site in Pinole was introduced to 22 

sites in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park and onto East Bay Municipal Utilities District 

(EBMUD) lands. These introduction sites have been monitored fairly regularly for the 

past 17 years by EBRPD, EBMUD, CNPS volunteers, and DFG staff. In 1999, four of the 22 

sites had 74, 59, 2, and 10,000 plants, respectively. Only the last site consistently has over 

100 plants, and 13 of the sites have not supported any plants in the past four years. 

Artichoke thistle, a noxious weed, has been invading several of these sites; EBRPD 

recently began an artichoke thistle control program. 

In 1997, the DFG and the City of Santa Cruz entered into a MOU to continue the 

City’s successful active management of the Arana Gulch population of Santa Cruz 

tarplant. This population once numbered over 100,000 plants. Cessation of grazing in 

the 1980s allowed non-native annual grasses to outcompete the tarplant, and by 1994 no 

tarplants were observed. Although botanists believed that a substantial number of 

viable seeds were still present in the soil, the seeds would not last indefinitely. In 1996 

the DFG and City experimented with mowing, raking, and hoeing techniques to 

remove the considerable amount of built-up thatch; more than 7,000 plants emerged. 

In 1997, 1998, and 1999 the City mowed a portion of the plant’s habitat in the spring and 

conducted two fall controlled burns. These management actions resulted in increases 

in the number of tarplant onsite; however, the El Nino winter of 1998-99 appears to 

have depressed germination of tarplant, as numbers of tarplant in 1999 were very low. 

The largest population of Santa Cruz tarplant occurs at the Watsonville Airport, which 

is attempting to establish new sites and enhance existing sites on the airport as 

mitigation for expansion activities. 

In 1998, Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) acquired a conservation easement 

over the one natural population of Santa Cruz tarplant in Monterey County. This site 

has the advantage of being able to be grazed in an economically viable way, and the 

long-term prospects for the population are excellent. In 1999, the DFG met with DPR to 

plan management of the population at the Twin Lakes State Park site in Santa Cruz 

County. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Cruz tarplant: Declining. 

Tahquitz ivesia 

(Ivesia callida) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Upper Montane Conifer Forest 


The Tahquitz ivesia is a spreading dwarf perennial, with glandular, hairy, divided 

leaves, and small white flowers on a short flowering stalk. This member of the rose 

family (Rosaceae) is found on steep slopes of decomposing granitic outcrops in the San 

Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County. Previously presumed extinct, this plant was 

rediscovered in 1980 at two sites in the San Jacinto Wilderness Area of the San 

Bernardino National Forest. 

Human disturbances are unlikely due to the relative inaccessibility of Tahquitz 

ivesia’s rocky habitat. Potential threats include disturbance during fire suppression 

actions, trail building, and rock climbing activities. There are no management or 

protection plans for this species, although USFS is aware of the populations. In 1988, the 

DFG monitored both occurrences and found them to be stable; this is the last 

information the DFG has for the species. 

The status in 1999 of Tahquitz ivesia: Unknown. 

Burke’s goldfields 

(Lasthenia burkei) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1991) 


Meadows and Seeps 

Burke’s goldfields is an erect, herbaceous annual, with narrow opposite leaves 

and small heads of yellow flowers. This sunflower relative (Asteraceae) grows in vernal 

pools and moist depressions in the vicinity of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County and to a 

lesser extent at sites in Lake County. It has been known to occur with two other State 

and federally listed endangered plants: Sebastopol meadowfoam (Limnanthes vinculans) 

and Sonoma sunshine (Blennosperma bakeri). 

Urbanization, conversion of land to row crops, widening along Highway 101, 

effluent irrigation, and overgrazing by sheep and cattle have impacted this species in 

Sonoma County. Less than 30 percent of its historic occurrences remain. The species 

has been nearly extirpated in the Windsor area, although it had previously been quite 

extensive there. Gully erosion at Manning Flat in Lake County is destroying the habitat 

there. In recent years, many development projects have been approved in the Santa 

Rosa area with significant impacts to Burke’s goldfields and other vernal pool species. 

Approved mitigation focuses on preservation and restoration of existing habitat. Burke’s 

goldfields was known to occur at the DFG’s Todd Road Ecological Preserve in Santa Rosa, 

but has not been seen in several years, possibly due to the cessation of grazing and 

subsequent invasion by non-native annual grasses. 

The DFG has been coordinating with the County and the City, as well as with 

other agencies, private landowners, and concerned citizens, to protect vernal pools and 

associated endangered plants in the area since 1989. Protection measures for this species 

are be included in USFWS’s Draft California Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan. 

The status in 1999 of Burke’s goldfields: Declining. 

Beach layia 

(Layia carnosa) 

CA - E (1990) 

FED - E (1992) 


Burke’s goldfields 

Beach layia is a small, succulent annual herb with low spreading branches and 

heads of small white to pink ray flowers and yellow disk flowers. The leaves and 

branches have sticky glands that allow sand to adhere to the plant. This sunflower 

relative (Asteraceae) occurs on semi-stabilized sand in sparse coastal dune scrub Beach layia 


vegetation. 

This plant is known to occur on five dune systems along the California 

coastline: in northern Santa Barbara County, on the Monterey Peninsula, at Point Reyes 

in Marin County, and in two dune systems in Humboldt County. Beach layia has been 

extirpated from at least four historic sites, and was assumed extirpated from Santa 

Barbara County until recent discoveries of two occurrences roughly 300 yards apart on 

Vandenberg Air Force Base. A new occurrence with 10-15 plants was discovered in 1999 

on NPS land in Humboldt County. Beach layia is now known from 20 occurrences, 12 

of which are at Point Reyes National Seashore. At various sites the species occurs with 

other State-listed plants, including Menzies’ wallflower (Erysimum menziesii) and 

Tidestrom’s lupine (Lupinus tidestromii). 

Threats include residential development, trampling, OHVs, and encroachment 

by non-native plants. Beach layia has shown a steady decrease in numbers since 1989 on 

the Lanphere-Christensen Dunes in Humboldt County, and habitat for the species is 

being lost to invasion by ice plant, European beachgrass, and non-native annual grasses. 

A number of agencies involved in a group called the Dune Forum are cooperating on a 

study of annual grasses and possible methods for their control. Beach layia is in 

particular trouble on the Monterey Peninsula, where there were less than 100 plants at 

last count. The USFWS completed a recovery plan for beach layia and six other coastal 

plants in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of beach layia: Declining. 

San Francisco lessingia 

(Lessingia germanorum) 

CA - E (1990) 

FED - E (1997) 


Coastal Scrub 

San Francisco lessingia, a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), is a 

slender, annual herb with clusters of lemon-yellow flowers. This species occurs in 

remnant areas of coastal dune scrub habitat on the San Francisco Peninsula. It appears 

to require open sandy soils that are relatively free of competing plants. San Francisco 

lessingia probably evolved on semi-active dunes, for it appears to require some degree 

of sand movement and disturbance. Historic collections of San Francisco lessingia are 

all from the San Francisco area, including northern San Mateo County. Today, four 

natural populations and one experimentally introduced population exist within the 

Presidio of San Francisco, previously under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army, and now 

administered by NPS. These populations are within one-half mile of each other on 

remnant areas of coastal dune scrub habitat. An additional occurrence was discovered 

in 1989 on San Bruno Mountain in San Mateo County. An HCP is in effect there which 

protects all endangered species on the mountain from development. 

Damage to lessingia habitat has occurred in the past from trampling by hikers, 

bikers, and joggers. At the Presidio, the NPS has been actively managing habitat for the 

species, and the populations are increasing in both suitable habitat area and population 

numbers; in 1998, there were over 300,000 plants. The populations there will be tracked 

to determine natural fluctuations in population size and the effects of the invasion of 

native shrubs filling in areas currently open to lessingia colonization. Ice plant is a 

direct threat to San Francisco lessingia. In addition, pampas grass is encroaching on 

lessingia habitat on San Bruno Mountain. 

The status in 1999 of San Francisco lessingia: Stable. 


Congdon’s lewisia 

(Lewisia congdonii) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 



Congdon’s lewisia, a perennial member of the purslane family (Portulacaceae), 

has a basal rosette of semi-succulent leaves and produces rose-colored flowers. It grows on 

dry talus slopes and in rock crevices in the chaparral and oak woodland plant 

communities of the Merced River Canyon in Mariposa County, and along the Kings River 

Canyon in Fresno County. Fewer than ten occurrences of Congdon’s lewisia are known, 

and several of these are along roads where herbicide spraying, road improvement and 

maintenance, and trash dumping are threats. Most of the occurrences are on USFS 

lands. Additional field surveys may result in the discovery of new populations in 

suitable habitat between the presently known, scattered occurrences. 

In 1994, a multi-agency MOU for the conservation and protection of sensitive 

species in the Merced River Canyon was signed by the DFG, USFS, BLM, CALTRANS, and 

PG&E. The MOU specifies guidelines for highway and power line maintenance and 

repair, notification requirements, species monitoring, and annual reviews. The MOU 

emphasizes protection measures for State listed endangered Merced clarkia (Clarkia 

lingulata) but also improves protection for Congdon’s lewisia and other species. 

The status in 1999 of Congdon’s lewisia: Stable. 

Mason’s lilaeopsis 

(Lilaeopsis masonii) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Mason’s lilaeopsis is a minute, turf-forming, perennial plant in the carrot family 

(Apiaceae). It spreads by rhizomes and produces narrow, jointed leaves. This species is 

semi-aquatic and is usually found on saturated clay soils that are regularly inundated by 

waves and tidal action. Its known distribution extends from the margins of the Napa 

River in Napa County, east to the channels and sloughs of the Sacramento-San Joaquin 

Delta in Contra Costa, Solano, Sacramento, Yolo, and San Joaquin counties. 

Currently, approximately 130 occurrences of Mason’s lilaeopsis are recorded, 

some as small as one square foot, although DFG does not know how many of these still 

exist. Continuing threats include levee maintenance and construction, widening of 

Delta channels for water transport, dredging and dumping of spoils, recreation, erosion 

and, potentially, changes in water quality in the Delta. Although much of the habitat is 

privately owned, several State and federal agencies have jurisdiction over the Delta 

waterways. The DFG owns one site in Solano County. 

The status in 1999 of Mason’s lilaeopsis: Stable to Declining. 

Western lily 

(Lilium occidentale) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1994) 

Congdon’s lewisia 

Mason’s lilaeopsis 


Marsh and Swamp 

North Coast Conifer Forest Western lily 


Pitkin Marsh lily 

Western lily is a tall, perennial herb that arises from a rhizome. It has a slender 

stem and long, narrow, whorled leaves. The flowers of this member of the lily family 

(Liliaceae) are crimson, except at the base of the petals, where they are yellow-orange 

or green with maroon spots. In California, this showy lily is known from near the 

southern perimeter of Humboldt Bay, Humboldt County, and from several sites 

approximately 90 miles to the north in Del Norte County. Approximately 20 small 

populations occur in Oregon between Brookings and Coos Bay. Overall, about 12 sites 

are monitored annually by volunteers or DFG. 

Habitat loss, bulb collecting, and livestock grazing threaten western lily. Yearly 

monitoring is needed to assess the rate of advancement by competing vegetation and 

the need for vegetation control, and the effects of illegal bulb collecting and grazing on 

all populations. Some measures have already been taken to protect this species. The 

DFG’s Table Bluff Ecological Reserve contains a population that is monitored annually. 

Where shading spruces were thinned as part of an experimental management program, 

western lily has increased and successfully flowered. Additionally, seedlings grown 

from seed from this population have been transplanted back to the Ecological Reserve 

to attempt to establish four new sites there. The Crescent City Marsh population, a 

portion of which occurs within the DFG’s Crescent City Marsh Wildlife Area, is the 

largest population known. In 1997, the Draft Recovery Plan for Western Lily was 

developed by USFWS’s Oregon State office. 

In 1998, using Section 6 funds, work was initiated with California State 

University, Humboldt to evaluate two vegetation management techniques, controlled 

late season grazing and manual removal, and to develop strategies for maintaining and 

expanding suitable habitat for the western lily. Information provided through this 

work, which will improve habitat management on DFG lands and help achieve 

recovery goals for the species in both California and Oregon, will be available in June 

2000. 

In 1999, the DFG initiated a western lily working group to share information 

and develop recovery goals with the USFWS, the BLM, the Oregon Department of 

Agriculture, the Oregon DPR, TNC, local counties and cities and other interested parties. 

The group discussed population trends and threats, reviewed management actions for 

western lily in California and Oregon, and discussed how to develop a cooperative 

monitoring plan, share data, fund recovery actions, and continue ongoing 

communication. The group will meet annually and may form a USFWS recovery team. 

The status in 1999 of western lily: Declining. 

Pitkin Marsh lily 

(Lilium pardalinum ssp. pitkinense) 

CA - E (1978) 

FED - E (1997) 


Pitkin Marsh lily is an herbaceous perennial with tall slender stems, narrow 

whorled leaves, and showy, nodding yellow-orange flowers with deep maroon dots and 

red tips. This member of the lily family (Liliaceae) arises from a rhizome. There are 

only three recorded occurrences of Pitkin Marsh lily, only two of which have been 

seen recently. These privately owned occurrences are confined to a small portion of 

Sonoma County, near fresh water marshes in the vicinity of Sebastopol and 

Cunningham. 

Land clearing and draining operations, cattle grazing, and horticultural bulb 

collecting have impacted all Pitkin Marsh lily populations. Introduced blackberry 

plants also compete with the lily at Pitkin Marsh. 

The status in 1999 of Pitkin Marsh lily: Declining. 


Baker’s meadowfoam 

(Limnanthes bakeri) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - None 



Baker’s meadowfoam is an herbaceous annual in the false mermaid family 

(Limnanthaceae) with dissected leaves and funnel-shaped flowers of white or cream. 

The primary habitat for this species is seasonally saturated or inundated clay soil in low 

swales, roadside ditches, and along margins of marshy areas. Its distribution is restricted 

to Mendocino County near Laytonville, Ukiah, and Little Lake Valley near Willits. Less 

than a dozen occurrences are known, and all are found on private lands. An occurrence 

at Covelo was destroyed by development. 

Most of the habitat for Baker’s meadowfoam is used for grazing. Some discing 

has occurred, but meadowfoam populations appear to tolerate light disturbance or 

grazing. The greatest threats to this plant are the alteration of local drainage patterns and 

the removal of standing water for agriculture and residential development. Through an 

MOU between the DFG and CALTRANS, completed in 1997, resulted in the analyses of 

genetic variation between and within populations and assessed germination, dormancy, 

population size, and vigor of Baker’s meadowfoam populations. Previously unknown 

populations were discovered as a result of the study. Results are being used to evaluate 

impacts caused by a realignment of State Highway 101 around the City of Willits in Little 

Lake Valley, which supports most Baker’s meadowfoam populations. 

The status in 1999 of Baker’s meadowfoam: Stable to Declining. 

Point Reyes meadowfoam 

(Limnanthes douglasii var. sulphurea) 

CA -E (1982) 

FED - None 


Point Reyes meadowfoam, a member of the false mermaid family 

(Limnanthaceae), is an herbaceous annual with three- to five-lobed leaves and bellshaped, 

yellow flowers. There are 13 occurrences of this species known; 12 of these are 

within the Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, and the other is on private 

property near Pescadero in San Mateo County. This species occurs primarily in vernally 

moist depressions in open, rolling coastal prairies and meadows. At Point Reyes, it is also 

found in roadside ditches. Plant numbers fluctuate widely year to year, and so a general 

trend is difficult to discern. 

The status in 1999 of Point Reyes meadowfoam: Stable. 

Butte County meadowfoam 

(Limnanthes floccosa ssp. californica) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1992) 



Butte County meadowfoam is a small, white-flowered, annual herb in the false 

mermaid family (Limnanthaceae). The plants are covered with soft hairs and have 

sparsely distributed leaves divided into five to 11 leaflets. This subspecies is potentially 

Baker’s 

meadowfoam 

Point Reyes 

meadowfoam 

Butte County 

meadowfoam 


Parish’s 

meadowfoam 

Sebastopol 

meadowfoam 

economically valuable because it possesses important traits that breeders are using to 

develop a commercial substitute for sperm whale oil. Butte County meadowfoam is 

restricted to vernal swales and the margins of vernal pools. There are approximately 13 

occurrences of Butte County Meadowfoam, 11 of which are in the City of Chico’s 

designated sphere of influence. Development is the primary threat to this species. 

The City decided not to pursue a multispecies HCP for State and federally listed 

species and sensitive habitat types within its jurisdiction. This plan would have focused 

conservation on fewer, larger preserves, including the majority of the meadowfoam 

populations, rather than the current project by project approach, which has a greater 

likelihood of resulting in a larger number of small, and potentially unviable, set-aside 

areas. With the termination of the conservation planning effort, the potential for 

decline of this species has increased. 

The status in 1999 of Butte County meadowfoam: Declining. 

Parish’s meadowfoam 

(Limnanthes gracilis var. parishii) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 


Parish’s meadowfoam is a small, herbaceous annual in the meadowfoam family 

(Limnanthaceae) with wide-spreading branches, divided leaves, and white bowl-shaped 

flowers that fade to pink. This species is known from the mountain meadows of 

northern and eastern San Diego County, as well as the Santa Rosa Plateau region in 

western Riverside County. It is a plant of moist habitats, often growing in vernal pools, 

wet meadows, and near springs and seeps. 

Today there are fewer than 30 known occurrences of Parish’s meadowfoam, 

mostly centered around the wet meadow habitats of the Cuyamaca Valley and Laguna 

Mountains in eastern San Diego County. Populations are also known from the 

Cleveland National Forest on Palomar Mountain in northern San Diego County and the 

Santa Rosa Plateau Preserve in Riverside County. A significant amount of habitat for 

Parish’s meadowfoam was probably lost in Cuyamaca Valley in the 1880s with the 

construction of Cuyamaca Dam and the permanent inundation of Cuyamaca Lake 

over a portion of what previously had been a vernal lake. 

DPR established the Cuyamaca Meadows Natural Preserve within Cuyamaca 

Rancho State Park in 1990 to provide additional protection to Parish’s meadowfoam 

habitat as well as habitats for other rare species found in that portion of the State Park. 

In 1996, following two years of extended negotiations, the DFG entered into an 

interagency MOU together with USFWS, Helix Water District, Lake Cuyamaca 

Recreation and Park District, DPR and USFS to protect Parish’s meadowfoam, Statelisted 

endangered Cuyamaca Lake downingia (Downingia concolor var. brevior), and 

State-listed rare Cuyamaca larkspur (Delphinium hesperium ssp. cuyamacae). The MOU 

identifies particular actions to be taken by each of the signatory land managers to 

preserve and protect the populations of Parish’s meadowfoam on their lands. Grazing, 

highway maintenance activities, and recreational and trail development are threats to 

Parish’s meadowfoam. 

The status in 1999 of Parish’s meadowfoam: Stable to Declining. 

Sebastopol meadowfoam 

(Limnanthes vinculans) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1991) 


Vernal Pools 


Sebastopol meadowfoam is an annual herb with divided leaves and bowl-shaped 

white flowers. This member of the false mermaid family (Limnanthaceae) grows in 

seasonally wet meadows, pastures, and vernal pools primarily in the drainage of the 

Laguna de Santa Rosa in Sonoma County. Most occurrences are on private land within 

five miles of the City of Santa Rosa. Sebastopol meadowfoam often occurs with two 

other State and federally listed endangered plants: Burke’s goldfields (Lasthenia burkei) 

and Sonoma sunshine (Blennosperma bakeri). 

Residential and commercial development, as well as indirect effects of urban 

growth, such as alteration of local and regional drainage patterns and effluent 

irrigation, also threaten this species. Heavy grazing and OHV recreation adversely affect 

populations as well. Populations occur on privately owned lands as well as lands owned 

by CALTRANS, the U.S. Army, and the City of Santa Rosa. The DFG protects populations 

at its Laguna de Santa Rosa Ecological Reserve and one of its nearby extensions. In 

recent years, many development projects with significant impacts to vernal pool species 

have been approved in the Santa Rosa area. Approved mitigation focuses on 

preservation and restoration of existing habitat. Some recent acquisitions and approved 

preservation banks protect Sebastopol meadowfoam, although the remaining 

populations continue to be significantly threatened by urban development and 

agriculture. 

The DFG has been coordinating with the County and the City, as well as with 

other agencies, private landowners, and concerned citizens, to protect vernal pools and 

associated endangered plants in the area since 1989. Protection measures for this species 

are expected to be included in USFWS’s Draft California Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery 

Plan. 

The status in 1999 of Sebastopol meadowfoam: Declining. 

San Clemente Island woodland star 

(Lithophragma maximum) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1997) 


Coastal Scrub 

San Clemente Island woodland star is a perennial herb in the saxifrage family 

(Saxifragaceae). It has three-parted leaves, stout stems, and white to pinkish flowers. This 

species is extremely rare and at one time was thought to be extinct. Today, about 200 

plants are thought to remain in the wild, in moister habitats primarily on north-facing 

slopes in nearly inaccessible canyons on the east side of San Clemente Island. 

Much of this species’ essential habitat has been damaged by feral goats, feral pigs, 

former ranching activities, and military operations. The U.S. Navy, which has 

jurisdiction over the Island, removed goats and pigs as part of its Feral Animal Removal 

Program and the condition of the native vegetation improved. A propagation program 

may be needed to achieve recovery for this species. 

The status in 1999 of San Clemente Island woodland star: Unknown. 

San Clemente Island bird’s-foot trefoil 

(Lotus argophyllus var. adsurgens) 

CA - (1979) 

FED - None 

General habitat: Coastal Scrub 

San Clemente Island bird’s-foot trefoil is an erect, shrubby perennial with 

crowded silvery leaves, short fruits, and small yellow-orange flowers. It is a member of 

the pea family (Fabaceae). This species inhabits only a few sites on the southern tip of 

San Clemente 

Island 

woodland star 

San Clemente 

Island bird’s-foot 

trefoil 



bird’s-foot trefoil 

San Clemente 

Island lotus 

San Clemente Island. Each site has fewer than 50 individuals. This plant grows on 

marine terraces in the cholla phase of maritime desert scrub vegetation. 

Ranching operations on the island resulted in overgrazing and elimination of 

much of the native vegetation before the distribution of several rare plants were 

determined. The U.S. Navy, which has jurisdiction over San Clemente Island, uses it as a 

bombing and gunnery range, but military operations have only occasionally directly 

affected this plant. The Navy has removed goats and pigs as part of its Feral Animal 

Removal Program, and the condition of the native vegetation has improved since the 

completion of the program. 

The status in 1999 of San Clemente Island bird’s-foot trefoil: 

Unknown. 

Santa Cruz Island bird’s-foot trefoil 

(Lotus argophyllus var. niveus) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - None 


Coastal Scrub 

Santa Cruz Island bird’s-foot trefoil is a low, much-branched perennial covered 

with silvery silky hairs. The plants have divided leaves and produce yellow and brown 

or purple flowers. It is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae). This subspecies is found 

only on Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the Channel Islands. It grows on rocky slopes, 

stony flood plains, and dry canyon streambeds in coastal sage or chaparral plant 

communities. 

Long-term grazing by sheep and cattle degraded much of the native vegetation 

on Santa Cruz Island, and weedy exotic plants became established. TNC now owns and 

manages most of the island and has eliminated all of the sheep. As a result, Santa Cruz 

Island bird’s-foot trefoil populations have recovered, especially on high ground within 

floodplain areas. DFG has no recent information on the status of this plant. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Cruz Island bird’s-foot trefoil: 

Unknown. 

San Clemente Island lotus 

(Lotus dendroideus var. traskiae) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1977) 



San Clemente Island lotus is a subshrub with erect, glabrous branches, leaflets 

usually in threes, and yellow or red-tinged flowers. This member of the pea family 

(Fabaceae) grows on open, grassy north-facing slopes at canyon mouths and on hillsides 

at several sites on San Clemente Island. The extent of its historic distribution is 

unknown. Currently, there are about 30 existing sites. 

San Clemente Island is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Navy, which has 

completed a Feral Animal Control Program to remove the pigs and goats that destroyed 

much of the island’s native vegetation. Many populations have increased slightly in size 

since the removal of some feral animals. 

The status in 1999 of San Clemente Island lotus: Stable to Increasing. 


Mariposa lupine 

(Lupinus citrinus var. deflexus) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - None 



Mariposa lupine, a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), is an annual plant with 

long spikes of white or pinkish flowers. This species occurs in foothill woodlands on 

decomposed granite domes on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in southwestern 

Mariposa County, south of the town of Mariposa. 

Although historical records are lacking, it is likely that this species was always 

rare. All six known occurrences of Mariposa lupine occur on private land; the total area 

covered by this species is less than 125 acres. Urban expansion into this foothill area 

poses a serious threat to Mariposa lupine. 

The status in 1999 of Mariposa lupine: Unknown. 

Milo Baker’s lupine 

(Lupinus milo-bakeri) 

CA - R (1978); T (1987) 

FED - None 


Milo Baker’s lupine, a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), is a tall, herbaceous 

annual with pale blue to yellow flowers and silky leaves. It occurs in the wet roadside 

ditches and streams of Round Valley near the town of Covelo in Mendocino County, 

and in the Bear Valley region of Colusa County. Approximately a dozen known 

occurrences of this species are known; most are in Mendocino County. Four 

occurrences in Mendocino County populations have been extirpated. 

Milo Baker’s lupine occurs on private land and on highway rights-of-way. Up-todate 

information is needed on the status of this plant. 

The status in 1999 of Milo Baker’s lupine: Unknown. 

Nipomo Mesa lupine 

(Lupinus nipomensis) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - PE (1998) 


Nipomo Mesa lupine is a low-growing, blue-flowered, annual herb in the pea 

family (Fabaceae). It is restricted to dry sandy flats of stabilized coastal dunes that lie 

west of Nipomo Mesa in San Luis Obispo County. Five populations are known. At least 

three historically known populations have been extirpated, including the type-locality. 

OHV activity and coastal development threaten the existing populations of 

Nipomo Mesa lupine. Expansion of introduced weedy plants, such as veldt grass and ice 

plant within the backdune scrub community, also threatens this species. All but one 

existing occurrence are on private land and remain unprotected. One occurrence is 

known from a CALTRANS right of way. In 1999, the DFG met with DPR and the Land 

Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County to outline a program of dunegrass and 

Veldtgrass removal on private land within the Guadalupe Dunes. It is expected that at 

least one population of Nipomo Mesa lupine will benefit from this program, to be 

conducted by the Land Conservancy. 

Mariposa lupine 

Milo Baker’s lupine 

Nipomo Mesa 

lupine 


Father Crowley’s 

lupine 

Tidestrom’s lupine 

The status in 1999 of Nipomo Mesa lupine: Declining. 

Father Crowley’s lupine 

(Lupinus padre-crowleyi) 

CA - R (1981) 

FED - None 


Riparian Scrub 

Upper Montane Conifer Forest 

Father Crowley’s lupine is a bushy perennial herb in the pea family (Fabaceae) 

that is covered with gray, spreading hairs. It has creamy white flowers, and its leaves 

are divided into seven to eight leaflets. It occurs in the understory of red fir forest and 

on sagebrush flats on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in Inyo County. There are 

four reported populations consisting of about 10 subpopulations. Local subpopulations 

are generally comprised of scattered individuals on steep avalanche chutes, in sunny 

sites in drainages, and in valley bottoms. All known sites are within Inyo National 

Forest. 

In 1998, the Inyo National Forest collected seed from a population of Father 

Crowley’s lupine for propagation and outplanting in the area of a former airstrip 

which is being restored. DFG has no recent information on the status of this species as a 

whole. 

The status in 1999 of Father Crowley’s lupine: Unknown. 

Tidestrom’s lupine 

(Lupinus tidestromii var. tidestromii) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - E (1992) 


Tidestrom’s lupine is a low, creeping perennial with whorls of light blue to 

lavender flowers, black-spotted pods, and bright yellow roots. It occurs on partially 

stabilized coastal dunes of the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, at Point Reyes 

National Seashore and near Dillon Beach in Marin County, and at the Sonoma Coast 

State Beach in Sonoma County. This member of the pea family (Fabaceae) is sometimes 

associated with two other State-listed endangered plants: Menzies’ wallflower 

(Erysimum menziesii ssp. menziesii) and beach layia (Layia carnosa). There are 15 extant, 

natural occurrences of the species, one introduced occurrence, and two extirpated, 

historical occurrences of Tidestrom’s lupine. 

In November of 1996, the DFG held a recovery workshop for seven coastal 

plants, including Tidestrom’s lupine. At the workshop, participants discussed current 

threats, including residential development, trampling, and OHVs. In addition to these 

threats, non-native species such as ice plant threaten Tidestrom’s lupine at all 

occurrences. NPS is beginning a dune restoration program at Point Reyes National 

Seashore, which will benefit the seven Tidestrom’s lupine occurrences there. While the 

species’ status on Point Reyes is unknown, the species overall is declining. The USFWS 

completed a recovery plan for Tidestrom’s lupine and six other coastal plants in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Tidestrom’s lupine: Declining. 


Laguna Mountains aster 

(Machaeranthera asteroides var. lagunensis) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Laguna Mountains aster is an herbaceous perennial in the sunflower family 

(Asteraceae). It has stout, branching stems covered with fine, gray hairs, and large 

lavender flowers. This species is found in a localized area of the southern Laguna 

Mountains in San Diego County growing on dry, sandy loam soils, often in disturbed 

sites of oak-pine woodland plant community. 

The several known California occurrences of Laguna Mountains aster are found 

on Cleveland National Forest and private lands. USFS has developed a management 

strategy to reduce or eliminate threats to these populations. Threats include heavy 

grazing, which prevents seed set, recreational activities, and roadside maintenance. 

Fencing to exclude cattle, and light soil disturbance to stimulate colonization by 

seedlings, have been suggested as management measures for this species. 

The status in 1999 of Laguna Mountains aster: Unknown. 

Truckee barberry 

(Mahonia (=Berberis) sonnei) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1979) 

General Habitat: Riparian Forest 

Truckee barberry is an upright, evergreen shrub in the barberry family 

(Berberidaceae) with divided spiny leaves, small clusters of yellow flowers, and blueblack 

berries. Only one natural occurrence of Truckee barberry exists. It occurs on 

alluvial granitic soils along the upper banks of the Truckee River in the town of Truckee, 

Nevada County. The only other occurrence of this species is a population that was 

experimentally introduced in 1988 to a site about five miles northeast of Truckee. 

Recent taxonomic treatments have merged the Truckee barberry with a 

common variety, Berberis aquifolium var. repens. The DFG plans to work with FGC to 

remove Truckee barberry from the State’s list of endangered species, and so has not 

changed the name of the genus to Berberis in the Fish and Game Code, as it has done for 

other valid barberry species. 

The 1999 Status of Truckee barberry: Not applicable (not a valid 

taxon). 

San Clemente Island bush mallow 

(Malacothamnus clementinus) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1977) 


San Clemente Island bush mallow is a rounded, evergreen shrub with numerous 

ascending branches, large leaves that are lobed and hairy, and inflorescences of 

crowded, pink flowers. This member of the mallow family (Malvaceae) is found on 

sedimentary rock walls and ridges of San Clemente Island, Los Angeles County. The U.S. 

Navy manages San Clemente Island. 

Feral goats and pig populations caused serious degradation of the native 

vegetation of the island. The surviving populations of San Clemente Island bush mallow 

Laguna Mountains 

aster 

Truckee barberry 

San Clemente 

Island bush mallow 



bush mallow 

Rock lady 

are restricted to cliffs and steep slopes that isolated them from feral goat and pig 

browsing. Goats were removed during the Navy’s eradication program, and vegetation 

has recovered. San Clemente Island is used for military activities. Bush mallow habitat 

in one canyon is in an area used as a bombing impact zone, resulting in increased 

erosion and potentially posing a direct threat to the plants. USFWS has prepared a 

recovery plan that makes management recommendations for all the federally listed 

plant species on the island. The total population of San Clemente Island bush mallow is 

so small that it remains critically endangered. 

The status in 1999 of San Clemente Island bush mallow:Stable. 

Santa Cruz Island bush mallow 

(Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. nesioticus) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - FE (1997) 

General habitat: Coastal Sage Scrub 

Santa Cruz Island bush mallow is a tall evergreen shrub with slender, wand-like 

branches covered with woolly hairs, large, lobed leaves, and open inflorescences of 

pinkish flowers. It is a member of the mallow family (Malvaceae). This plant is known 

from two occurrences on Santa Cruz Island. It grows on a dry, south-facing canyon 

slope on the west end of Santa Cruz Island in coastal sage scrub vegetation; the more 

recently discovered population occurs further east in the island’s Central Valley. 

Recent genetic studies confirm that Santa Cruz Island bush mallow is a distinct 

variety. Genetic analyses of the Central Valley population indicate that although there 

are 19 individual shrubs, these shrubs consist of only three genotypes or three clones. 

The western population consists of about 50 individuals representing 10 clones. Soil loss, 

habitat alteration, and feral pig rooting threaten both populations. The USFWS 

completed a recovery plan for Santa Cruz Island bush mallow and twelve other island 

plants in 1999. 

The status in 1999 of the Santa Cruz Island bush mallow: 

Declining. 

Rock lady 

(Maurandya (=Holmgrenanthe) petrophila) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Mojavean Desert Scrub 

Rock lady is a soft-hairy, herbaceous perennial in the figwort family 

(Scrophulariaceae). It has short, hanging stems from a woody base, rounded, bristly 

leaves, and creamy yellow flowers. Rock lady is found in the transition zone of the 

mixed desert scrub and creosote bush scrub plant communities of one or more canyons 

in the Grapevine Mountains in Inyo County. It grows as scattered individuals in 

limestone rock crevices of steep canyon walls. The habitat is owned by NPS and is 

located in Death Valley National Park. 

This beautiful and extremely rare plant has been recently confirmed at three 

sites in Titus Canyon. Only 26 individuals were documented in 1998. Habitat that 

appears suitable for this species exists in unsearched canyons nearby, and the plant has 

been reported from Fall Canyon, immediately north of Titus Canyon. Little is known 

of the ecology or population biology of rock lady. Before a management plan can be 

developed, a full status survey and identification of any potential threats is needed. No 

threats to this plant are currently known. 

The status in 1999 of rock lady: Stable. 


Willowy monardella 

(Monardella linoides ssp. viminea) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1998) 

General Habitat: Riparian Scrub 

Willowy monardella, a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), is a perennial 

with erect stems from a woody base, silvery minute hairs, narrow leaves, and tiny roselavender 

flowers in dense heads. It grows on secondary alluvial benches in cobbly, 

vernal washes. In California, it is restricted to San Diego County, mostly north of San 

Diego, just south and west of Poway. This subspecies also occurs in Baja California, 

although its status there is unknown. Most occurrences are on DOD and private lands, 

with a few on City and County of San Diego property. 

Because of its location, willowy monardella is vulnerable to urbanization and 

highway construction. Habitat that has not been directly lost to development is 

seriously threatened by increased flows from upstream development, increased 

moisture in stream from upstream urban landscaping, and invasion by exotic species. 

About half of the approximately two dozen known occurrences of willowy monardella 

in California have been extirpated. Early attempts to translocate this plant as part of 

mitigation for highway construction have all failed. Two occurrences were lost in 

spring 1999 due to erosion, and one of the remaining occurrences is slated for 

destruction in 1999/2000. Seeds will be collected from this occurrence to attempt to 

establish the plant elsewhere. This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species 



The status in 1999 of willowy monardella: Declining 

Few-flowered navarretia 

(Navarretia leucocephala ssp. pauciflora) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - E (1997) 


Few-flowered navarretia is a small, annual herb in the phlox family 

(Polemoniaceae). This plant grows unbranched or with a few short, spreading branches. 

The tiny white or pale blue flowers occur in clusters. Few-flowered navarretia occurs in 

drying vernal pools on volcanic substrate in the north coast ranges of Lake and Napa 

counties, where it is known from six sites. One is on the DFG’s Loch Lomond Ecological 

Reserve, where the plants appear to be the result of hybridization with many-flowered 

navarretia (Navarretia leucocephala ssp. plieantha). All other sites for few-flowered 

navarretia are on private land, and several are threatened with habitat loss and 

degradation. 

The status in 1999 of few-flowered navarretia: Declining. 

Many-flowered navarretia 

(Navarretia leucocephala ssp. plieantha) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1997) 


Many-flowered navarretia is a prostrate, mat-forming, spiny annual herb with 

widely spaced, narrow leaves and heads of small, pale blue flowers. This member of the 

Willowy 

monardella 


Twisselmann’s 

nemacladus 

Colusa grass 

phlox family (Polemoniaceae) is known from moist habitats in volcanic ash vernal pool 

systems in Lake and Sonoma counties. Historically, about eight sites for many-flowered 

navarretia were known. Two of these have been extirpated. One occurrence is 

protected at the DFG’s Loch Lomond Ecological Reserve in Lake County. TNC and DFG 

own another Lake County occurrence, at Boggs Lake. In 1997, surveys revealed a large 

population of many-flowered navarretia, perhaps because it was a good rainfall year. 

The remaining four occurrences are on private land and have not been observed in 

several years. The status of these four occurrences is unknown. 

The status in 1999 of many-flowered navarretia: Unknown. 

Twisselmann’s nemacladus 

(Nemacladus twisselmannii) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 

General habitat: Upper Montane Conifer Forest 

Twisselmann’s nemacladus is an inch-high, gray, hairy annual herb with basal 

leaves in rosettes, and small, short stemmed, white flowers. This member of the 

bellflower family (Campanulaceae) grows in small colonies on loose gravels and 

granitic soils amid sparse Jeffrey pine forests at the rim of the Kern Plateau in Kern and 

Tulare counties. Both known occurrences are small in size (a few hundred plants at last 

count) and are on Sequoia National Forest lands. DFG has no recent information on the 

status of this plant. 

The status in 1999 of Twisselmann’s nemacladus: Unknown. 

Colusa grass 

(Neostapfia colusana) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - T (1997) 

General habitat: Vernal Pools 

Colusa grass is a coarse, pale green, sticky and aromatic annual member of the 

grass family (Poaceae) with several stems of loosely folded, clasping leaves, and thick, 

cylindrical terminal spikes of flowers. This grass occurs only on the muds of large or 

deep vernal pools in Merced, Stanislaus, Solano, and Yolo counties. Colusa grass has 

been extirpated at its type-locality in Colusa County. Associated species in some 

locations include State and federally listed hairy Orcutt grass (Orcuttia pilosa) and San 

Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass (O. inaequalis). 

Populations of Colusa grass and other associated species have been lost because 

much of California’s Central Valley vernal pool habitat has been converted for 

agriculture and urbanization. A 1989 USFWS-funded status survey on the Central 

Valley Orcuttieae, including Colusa grass, indicated that of the 47 historically known 

occurrences of Colusa grass, 20 percent had been eliminated, and an additional 20 

percent had been damaged or were declining. Heavy grazing and competition from 

introduced weedy species have been identified as threats. Unprotected occurrences on 

private lands are subject to agricultural conversion. Solano County Farmlands and 

Open Space Foundation protects one occurrence at its Jepson Prairie Preserve in Solano 

County. Protection measures for this species are expected to be included in USFWS’s 

Draft California Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan. 

The status in 1999 of Colusa grass: Declining. 


Amargosa nitrophila 

(Nitrophila mohavensis) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1985) 


Amargosa nitrophila is a small, erect perennial in the goosefoot family 

(Chenopodiaceae). This compact plant has smooth, pinkish stems with rounded, 

opposite leaves which clasp the stems and minute rose-colored flowers at the base of the 

leaves. It is found in open alkali flats and low sand deposits in the Amargosa River 

drainage of Inyo County, California, and Nye County, Nevada. This area includes the 

Carson Slough drainage near Tecopa, and Ash Meadows, a unique desert oasis. 

Only two populations are known to occur in California. Maintenance of natural 

hydrological regimes is essential to this species’ survival. A private development project 

has damaged and reduced habitat at one population. The other is managed by BLM. 

The status in 1999 of Amargosa nitrophila: Declining. 

Dehesa nolina 

(Nolina interrata) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 


Dehesa nolina is a large, yucca-like perennial with rosettes of long, flat leaves and 

tall, much-branched flower stalks. The white male and female flowers occur on 

separate plants. This member of the lily family (Liliaceae) is found in chaparral plant 

communities in a limited area of southwestern San Diego County and adjacent Baja 

California, Mexico. 

Dehesa nolina is limited to approximately six occurrences in San Diego County 

and three small occurrences in Baja California Norte. The San Diego County 

occurrences are threatened by expanding residential development and potential roadwidening 

projects. Recent efforts to protect the largest populations should help stabilize 

the trend and greatly reduce further loss of habitat. The three largest populations of 

Dehesa nolina are found on Sycuan Peak, McGinty Mountain, and Dehesa mountains in 

southwestern San Diego County. A cooperative preserve on McGinty Mountain 

managed by the DFG, TNC, the County of San Diego DPR, and the Environmental Trust 

has protected much, but not all, of the Dehesa nolina population there. Since July 1995, 

the DFG and WCB have worked successfully with private landowners to acquire more 

than 1, 270 acres of habitat on Sycuan Peak. An additional 220 acres of habitat in 

private ownership is needed to ensure to complete protection of the Sycuan Peak 

population. The San Diego MSCP by will ensure that a minimum of 80 percent of these 

three populations will be preserved. 

Studies are needed to determine the role of wildfire management and/or 

prescribed burning with respect to reproduction in populations of Dehesa nolina and 

the sexual demography of the major populations. Wildfire has been noted to induce 

mass flowering in populations of Dehesa nolina and related species, but fire frequency 

and its role in establishment and perpetuation of the species has not been studied. At 

least one known small population of Dehesa nolina is, in fact, a unisexual clone 

representing a single genetic individual that has an areal extent of one-quarter acre or 

more. Information from these studies will be crucial to the development of recovery 

strategies for Dehesa nolina and essential for management of the species in the actual 

and proposed reserves. This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species 



Amargosa 

nitrophila 

Dehesa nolina 


Eureka Dunes 

evening-primrose 

Antioch Dunes 

evening-primrose 

The status in 1999 of Dehesa nolina: Stable to declining. 

Eureka Dunes evening-primrose 

(Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis) 

CA - R (1978) 

FED - E (1978) 


Eureka Dunes evening-primrose is a perennial herb with large, showy, white 

flowers that age to red. This member of the evening primrose family (Onagraceae) 

grows in the flat to gently sloping sand areas bordering larger desert sand dunes of 

Eureka Valley in Inyo County. Eureka Dunes evening-primrose is short-lived, suffers 

high mortality, and produces abundant, long-lived seeds. It is associated with the Statelisted 

rare Eureka Valley dune grass (Swallenia alexandrae), although the grass generally 

grows much higher on the dunes. There are only three known occurrences of Eureka 

Dunes evening-primrose; all are confined to the southern portion of Eureka Valley. 

The Eureka Dunes are part of Death Valley National Park. Trampling and occasional 

OHV damage are threats and expansion of Russian thistle also threatens the habitat. 

This invasive non-native plant became established on the dunes during the period of 

intense disturbance by OHVs prior to 1976 when the dunes were closed to OHVs. 

Populations vary tremendously based upon rainfall. In 1997, only 20 individuals were 

observed around the main dunes. In 1998, a high rainfall year, extensive fields of 

evening-primrose were observed around the entire main dune system. There is no 

monitoring program in place currently. 

The status in 1999 of Eureka Dunes evening-primrose: Stable. 

Antioch Dunes evening-primrose 

(Oenothera deltoides var. howellii) 

CA - E (1978) 

FED - E (1978) 

General Habitat: Inland Dunes 

Antioch Dunes evening-primrose is a showy, white-flowered, highly branched, 

perennial herb with grayish toothed or divided leaves. It is a member of the eveningprimrose 

family (Onagraceae). This plant grows in loose sand and semi-stabilized dunes 

in a small area along the San Joaquin River near Antioch in Contra Costa County. The 

area is protected by San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge and PG&E. The State 

and federally endangered Contra Costa wallflower (Erysimum capitatum) grows in the 

same area as the evening-primrose. 

The Antioch Dunes have been reduced to about 70 acres as a result of industrial 

development, sand mining, and agricultural conversion. The remaining habitat has 

been degraded by fire control activities, OHV use, and invasion by exotic species. In 

1970, seed of Antioch dunes evening-primrose was introduced to Brannan Island State 

Recreation Area. The DFG does not have information on the current status or threats 

to this population. 

The native site on the Refuge was closed to public use to reduce erosion caused 

by trespass and OHVs. Research has shown that, although this species typically 

produces large amounts of seed, seed set by the plants at Antioch Dunes is low, possibly 

due to pollination limitations. This research also showed that seedlings were unable to 

survive on the clay soils now present in areas where overlaying dune sand was 

removed. The most recent population trend for Antioch Dunes evening-primrose is 

one of increase, but the taxon is still in a very precarious position. The USFWS is 

currently preparing a management plan for the Antioch Dunes, with the goal of 

increasing the viability of Antioch Dunes evening-primrose and Contra Costa 

wallflower. 


The status in 1999 of Antioch Dunes evening-primrose: Stable. 

Bakersfield cactus 

(Opuntia basilaris var. treleasei) 

CA - E (1990) 

FED - E (1990) 



Bakersfield cactus is a succulent, spiny member of the cactus family (Cactaceae) 

with large, showy magenta flowers that bloom from March through June. It is a 

spreading perennial plant with gray-green stems which form flat joints (pads). This 

species grows on coarse, cobbly, well-drained granitic sand on bluffs, low hills, and flats 

in the valley and foothill grasslands of Kern County. 

Bakersfield cactus once formed extensive colonies in the area around 

Bakersfield, extending up the Kern River Canyon to the northeast, through the Caliente 

Creek drainage to the southeast, and to the Tejon Hills, about 20 miles to the south. 

Much of the historical habitat for the species has been destroyed by impacts associated 

with human activities. The rapidly accelerating urbanization of this area poses a severe 

threat to the species today. Agricultural conversion of land, oil field development, 

overgrazing by sheep and cattle, OHV activity, dumping, and sand mining have 

contributed to the decline of this species and destruction of its habitat throughout its 

range. Dense stands of non-native grasses compete with Bakersfield cactus. In wet years, 

these invasive grasses cover the cactus, and when dry, greatly increase the likelihood 

and destructiveness of wildfires. The grasses may reduce vegetative reproduction of the 

cactus by preventing broken pads from contacting and rooting in the soil. In 1995, 

extensive die-back in some populations was discovered, perhaps caused by high rainfall 

during the winter of 1994-1995. 

In 1997, three important areas of Bakersfield cactus habitat were acquired as 

mitigation under the Metropolitan Bakersfield HCP. These parcels are being managed 

for Bakersfield cactus. Protection measures for Bakersfield cactus are included in 

USFWS’s Draft Recovery Plan for Upland Species of the San Joaquin Valley, California, 

completed 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Bakersfield cactus: Declining. 

California Orcutt grass 

(Orcuttia californica) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1993) 


California Orcutt grass, a member of the grass family (Poaceae), is a bright green, 

sticky, aromatic annual with flowers borne in dense spikes. This species was once 

commonly found in the volcanic terrace and valley vernal pool systems of Southern 

California in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties. 

Within the northern portion of this species’ range, three populations of Orcutt 

grass remain in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A large population was discovered in 

1992 near Moorpark; a housing development is in progress there which is slated to 

eliminate the natural watershed for the pool and will be replaced by an artificially 

maintained, hydrologic system. Two populations were discovered recently in northern 

Los Angeles County in the vicinity of Cruzan Mesa and Plum Canyon in the upper 

watershed of the Santa Clara River. The largest of these, at Cruzan Mesa, was discovered 

after the County of Los Angeles approved a housing project for the area that has yet to 

be constructed. Recent discing and tilling of the watershed has caused sedimentation 

into the pool basin which may threaten the habitat integrity of the pool. A very small 

Bakersfield cactus 

California Orcutt 

grass 


San Joaquin Valley 

Orcutt grass 

Hairy Orcutt grass 

population of several hundred plants was recently located in the Plum Canyon area. 

This population appears to occupy a pool created by a landslide on a slide slope above a 

small stream. Development around Skunk Hollow in Riverside County will truncate a 

portion of the watershed which maintains this vary large vernal pool. Protection 

measures for California Orcutt grass are provided in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for 

Vernal Pools of Southern California, released in 1998. 

This species is covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company Subregional 

NCCP, a linear NCCP from Orange County to the Mexican Border. It will likely be 

covered in the San Diego Multiple Habitat Conservation Program NCCP to be finalized 

in the next few years. 

The status in 1999 of California Orcutt grass: Declining. 

San Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass 

(Orcuttia inaequalis) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - T (1997) 


San Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass is a grayish-green, sticky, aromatic annual in the 

grass family (Poaceae) with a terminal inflorescence of overlapping flowers. This grass 

was once common in vernal pools in Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno, Madera, and Tulare 

counties. Associated species in some locations include Colusa grass (Neostapfia colusana), 

Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop (Gratiola heterosepala), and succulent owl’s-clover (Castilleja 

campestris ssp. succulenta), all of which are State listed as endangered. 

Nearly half of the approximately 45 historically known occurrences of San 

Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass have been destroyed, primarily due to conversion of 

habitat to agriculture. Discing, hydrological modification, urbanization, and late spring 

grazing have also degraded and destroyed the species’ habitat. Since San Joaquin Valley 

Orcutt grass matures in early summer and occupies large vernal pools that retain water 

the longest, it is vulnerable to trampling by cattle, which are attracted to vernal pools as 

the annual grasses in the surrounding upland dry out. Disturbed vernal pool soils are 

vulnerable to invasion by non-native, upland grasses and forbs that may compete with 

San Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass and other vernal pool species. Most of the remaining 

occurrences of San Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass are concentrated in two small areas in 

eastern Merced County. 

Most of the approximately 25 remaining occurrences are privately owned. The 

species occurs in two vernal pools that are partially owned by BLM and partially on 

private land on Big Table Mountain near Friant in Fresno County. It also occurs in a 

vernal pool complex in Madera County that was acquired by CALTRANS in 1995 for 

mitigation purposes. Just prior to their acquisition by CALTRANS, the pools had been 

disced. As a result of this disturbance, these pools have been invaded by upland plants, 

but they still support rare species. In 1997, a small population of San Joaquin Valley 

Orcutt grass was discovered in one vernal pool on the DFG’s Stone Corral Ecological 

Reserve in Tulare County. Three occurrences of the species on the Flying M Ranch in 

Merced County are protected through conservation easements with TNC. Protection 

measures for this species are expected to be included in USFWS’s Draft California Vernal 

Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan. 

The status in 1999 of San Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass: Declining. 

Hairy Orcutt grass 

(Orcuttia pilosa) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1997) 



Hairy Orcutt grass is a yellow-green, aromatic, tufted, annual in the grass family 

(Poaceae), with dense hairs throughout and a flower stalk of numerous flowers, which 

are crowded near the tip. This grass occurs in vernal pools in Butte, Glenn, and Tehama 

counties in the Sacramento Valley and Stanislaus and Madera counties in the San 

Joaquin Valley. It had been known from Merced County, but all occurrences appear to 

have been extirpated. Associated species in some locations include two other State-listed 

grasses: Colusa grass (Neostapfia colusana) and Greene’s tuctoria (Tuctoria greenei). 

Habitat loss through conversion of vernal pool habitat to agricultural uses or 

development continues to threaten hairy Orcutt grass. Competition from weeds appears 

to be an increasing problem for hairy Orcutt grass throughout its range. Several extant 

occurrences are damaged or declining, and at least 11 occurrences contain less than 

1,000 individuals. Occurrences with such small numbers of individuals are particularly 

susceptible to decline over time and ultimate extirpation. Hairy Orcutt grass can tolerate 

some grazing, but ecologically appropriate livestock numbers, timing, and intensity are 

unknown. At TNC’s Vina Plains Preserve, where one-half of the 26 extant occurrences 

of the plant are located, a three-year study was recently completed to determine the 

effects of grazing and burning on vernal pool habitat; results of this study will be useful 

in guiding management. Protection measures for this species are expected to be 

included in USFWS’s Draft California Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan. 

The status in 1999 Hairy Orcutt grass: Declining. 

Slender Orcutt grass 

(Orcuttia tenuis) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - T (1997) 


Slender Orcutt grass is a blue-green, somewhat sticky and aromatic annual 

member of the grass family (Poaceae), with a branched flower stalk. This grass occurs in 

the bottom of vernal pools associated with valley grassland, blue oak woodland, and 

lower montane conifer forest. It has been reported from Lake, Lassen, Plumas, 

Sacramento, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Tehama counties. Associated species that are also Statelisted 

include many-flowered navarretia (Navarretia plieantha), Boggs lake hedge-hyssop 

(Gratiola heterosepala), and Greene’s tuctoria (Tuctoria greenei). 

Much of slender Orcutt grass’ vernal pool habitat has been damaged or lost as a 

result of agricultural conversion. Approximately 70 occurrences of slender Orcutt grass 

are known, approximately half of which occur on private lands. The DFG is protecting 

a large population of slender Orcutt grass at Dales Lake Ecological Reserve in Tehama 

County. BLM is protecting populations at Hog Lake Plateau, Sevenmile Lake, and Spring 

Branch Plain in Tehama County. TNC protects populations at their Vina Plains and 

Boggs Lake preserves. Other occurrences are on BLM, USFS, and privately owned lands. 

Two new occurrences were discovered in Lassen National Forest in 1997, and two more 

in 1998. The USFS has fenced four of the occurrences on their land to protect them 

from grazing; one occurrence is not on a grazing allotment, and the remaining 

populations are monitored for grazing effects and appear to be stable. 

Recently, a 139-acre parcel on the Stillwater Plains in Shasta County with two 

vernal pools supporting slender Orcutt grass was enrolled in the National Resource 

Conservation Service Wetland Reserve Program, which will protect the species there. 

The same landowner is nearing completion of a vernal pool mitigation bank that will 

protect the species in three additional pools on adjacent lands. Additionally, CVPIA 

Conservation Program funds have been authorized for additional pool protection 

actions within the Stillwater Plains. Protection measures for this species are included in 

USFWS’s Draft California Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan. 

The status in 1999 of slender Orcutt grass: Stable. 

Slender 

Orcutt grass 


Sacramento 

Orcutt grass 

Sacramento Orcutt grass 

(Orcuttia viscida) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1997) 


Sacramento Orcutt grass is a blue-green, tufted, sticky aromatic annual plant in 

the grass family (Poaceae) with flowers crowded into bristly heads. It grows in dry 

vernal pool beds within either blue oak woodland or valley grassland communities. 

This grass is restricted to several vernal pool complexes in Sacramento County and is 

the rarest and most narrowly distributed member of the genus Orcuttia. At one site, 

Sacramento Orcutt grass is associated with the State-listed endangered Boggs Lake 

hedge-hyssop (Gratiola heterosepala). Fewer than 10 occurrences of Sacramento Orcutt 

grass have been reported; one of these was artificially established in 1979 by seeding a 

vernal pool. Most occurrences are on private land and remain unprotected. 

One population occurs in the DFG’s Phoenix Field Ecological Reserve in 

Sacramento County. The population there has been threatened by displacement by 

wetland species not typically associated with vernal pools that are spreading within the 

ecological reserve. This is occurring due to the alteration of the hydrology of the site 

that has occurred as a result of runoff entering the ecological reserve from a nearby 

housing development. Precautions planned for the road grading of the developed 

property were unsuccessful in directing runoff away from the ecological reserve. 

Money from a federal Section 6 grant was used in July 1998 to construct a drainage 

along the northern boundary of the Phoenix Field Ecological Reserve in Sacramento 

County. This drainage is now successfully diverting runoff from the housing 

development away from the Ecological Reserve, including the pools containing 

Sacramento Orcutt grass. A wildfire on the reserve in June 1999 made it difficult to 

assess any immediate effects of the new drain on the Orcutt grass population. 

Sacramento Orcutt grass is targeted for protection in the developing 

Sacramento County HCP, which should result in protection of the remaining 

populations in the County. 

The status in 1999 of Sacramento Orcutt grass: Declining. 

Baja California birdbush 

(Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia) 

CA - Candidate (1999) 

FED - None 


Baja California birdbush is a rigidly-branched, erect shrub in the Heath family 

(Ericaceae) with leathery, narrow leaves, reddish-brown bark that peels to expose white 

or gray-green stems, and small greenish-white flowers in clusters. The 6' tall species 

grows slowly, is long-lived, and has low reproduction rates. It is known from only one 

location in the United States, just north of the U.S. - Mexico border on a mesa and 

adjacent slopes in the Tijuana Hills in San Diego County. A total of 103 Baja California 

birdbush shrubs has been documented there. The plants grow in cobbly loam soil in a 

chaparral community intermixed with coastal sage species. This birdbush is also known 

from northwestern Baja California Norte, Mexico. 

The sole U.S. population is threatened by fragmentation of its habitat by dirt 

roads and trails, brush clearing and cutting associated with illegal border crossings and 

U.S. Border Patrol activities, and, possibly, a fire frequency that is too high. This 

population occurs within an area proposed for construction of the U.S. Border Patrol’s 

Border Fence project, which is still in the planning stages. It is likely that some of the 

birdbush plants will be destroyed during construction, so the DFG is working with the 

federal agencies involved to determine mitigation and conservation measures. 


The status in 1999 of Baja California birdbush: Declining. 

Lake County stonecrop 

(Parvisedum leiocarpum) 

CA - E (1990) 

FED - E (1997) 


Vernal Pools 

Lake County stonecrop is a diminutive, succulent annual in the stonecrop family 

(Crassulaceae). It has reddish stems one to two inches tall, small fleshy leaves, and pale 

yellow flowers that appear in April or May. This stonecrop grows in volcanic ash vernal 

pools that are seasonally wet and dry out in late spring. Lake County stonecrop has 

always been rare and is restricted to a few sites in Lake County. 

At least half of the historical habitat of Lake County stonecrop has been lost. 

Recent surveys documented only three sites, covering about three acres on private land. 

These small populations remain vulnerable to changes in land use, which could degrade 

or eliminate their habitat. 

The status in 1999 of Lake County stonecrop: Declining. 

Dudley’s lousewort 

(Pedicularis dudleyi) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


North Coast Conifer Forest 


Dudley’s lousewort is a short, perennial herb with mostly compound, basal leaves 

and stalks of pinkish flowers. This member of the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae) 

grows under shaded conditions in the coastal redwood and mixed evergreen forest 

communities of San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo counties. 

There are fewer than 10 known occurrences of Dudley’s lousewort. The 

majority of these are within Los Padres National Forest or on DPR land and in areas of 

recreational activities such as horseback riding and mountain biking. Two occurrences 

are located on the Hearst Ranch. Permanent management programs for this species are 

needed. DFG has no recent information on the status of this plant. 

The status in 1999 of Dudley’s lousewort: Unknown. 

White-rayed pentachaeta 

(Pentachaeta bellidiflora) 

CA - E (1992) 

FED - E (1995) 

General Habitat: Serpentine Grassland 


White-rayed pentachaeta is a small, annual plant with heads of yellow disk 

flowers surrounded by white to purple ray flowers. This member of the sunflower 

family (Asteraceae) is currently known from a serpentine bunchgrass community and 

native prairie in two small areas of San Mateo County, both on San Francisco Water 

District lands. It was formerly known from Marin to Santa Cruz counties. 

Population sizes vary from year to year due to local rainfall and competition 

Lake County 

stonecrop 

Dudley’s lousewort 

Lyon’s 

pentachaeta 


Yreka phlox 

from non-native plants. In 1997, this species was the subject of a recovery workshop 

conducted by the DFG in cooperation with USFWS. Participants discussed the need for 

permanently protecting and managing the existing populations, as well attempting to 

reintroduce populations into suitable protected habitat. Management and recovery 

actions for the species have been addressed in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Serpentine 

Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of white-rayed pentachaeta: Declining. 

Lyon’s pentachaeta 

(Pentachaeta lyonii) 

CA - E (1990) 

FED - FE (1997) 


Coastal Sage Scrub 


Lyon’s pentachaeta is an herbaceous, annual plant in the sunflower family 

(Asteraceae). It has yellow ray and disk flowers arranged in heads that bloom from 

March to August. Habitat for Lyon’s pentachaeta consists of sparsely vegetated 

openings in grassland, coastal sage scrub, and chaparral. Currently, Lyon’s pentachaeta 

is known only from the coastal mountain region of northern Los Angeles County and 

southern Ventura County in the Santa Monica Mountains and in the Simi Valley. 

Populations on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and on Santa Catalina Island have not been 

seen for many years. 

Approximately 27 populations remain. Two protected populations occur on 

lands managed by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and Conejo Open Space 

Agency. Two populations on NPS and DPR lands are now extirpated, and another on 

NPS land is in poor condition. The remaining populations are all on private lands, 

largely within areas of proposed development. Lack of adequate land buffers, increases 

in invasive plant species, unpermitted fuel clearance, loss of suitable habitat for 

population expansion, fragmentation of habitat connectivity, and lack of management 

of competing vegetation threaten most of these populations. Several populations have 

been severely damaged in recent years by activities including geotechnical trenching, 

vegetation fuel clearance, and bulldozing. 

An ongoing federal Section 6-funded research project is shedding light on 

biological and habitat requirements for this species. The plant’s natural habitat has 

been altered over many decades by the introduction of non-native annual grasses and 

other weeds. The species is a poor competitor, and is currently limited to areas of 

shallow soils or heavy clay with reduced shrub and grass competition. Areas of reduced 

competition have also been created by human activities that compact the soil or scrape 

the surface, such as construction of dirt roads, foot trails, and vegetation fuelbreaks. 

Lyon’s pentachaeta is a poor disperser, and plants are fragile and easily damaged by 

trampling and vehicular activity. Maintenance of suitable pollinator habitat and 

pollinator access should also be considered in order to preserve the species. Protection 

measures for Lyon’s pentachaeta are provided in the USFWS’s Draft Recovery Plan for Six 

Plants from the Mountains Surrounding the Los Angeles Basin, California, released in 1999. 

The status in 1999 of Lyon’s pentachaeta: Declining. 

Yreka phlox 

(Phlox hirsuta) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - E (1998) 



Yreka phlox is a low, cushion-like, perennial subshrub, with hairs throughout, 

leaves crowded on short stems, and attractive pink to purple flowers. This member of 

the phlox family (Polemoniaceae) occurs in juniper woodlands and open Jeffrey pine 

forests on serpentine soils in the general vicinity of Yreka, Siskiyou County. There are 

two known occurrences, spread over private land, Klamath National Forest land, and a 

CALTRANS right-of-way. 

Historically, Yreka phlox occurrences have been disturbed by activities 

associated with road building and logging. USFS protects the occurrence on its land, and 

some landowners are voluntarily protecting the phlox on their lands. The China Hill 

site was last reported on in 1995 when 500 plants were seen. The Soap Creek Ridge 

occurrence was last seen in 1997 when 200 plants were seen on part of the site. Part of 

this latter occurrence burned in 1994, and there may have been damage from the fire 

abatement activities. 

The status in 1999 of Yreka phlox: Unknown. 

San Francisco popcornflower 

(Plagiobothrys diffusus) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 


Vernal Pools 

San Francisco popcornflower is a low, herbaceous annual, with narrow leaves 

and a branched flower stalk of white flowers. This member of the borage family 

(Boraginaceae) is known from a historic location on the Presidio of San Francisco and 

from several occurrences in Santa Cruz County and one in northwest San Benito 

County. The type-locality near Mountain Lake in San Francisco has been altered by 

landscaping with trees and shrubs and introduced annual grasses, and the 

popcornflower may be extirpated from that site. 

One population of San Francisco popcornflower is in joint public ownership 

under the University of California Natural Reserve System and DPR. Both portions of 

this population are vulnerable to disturbance by recreational activities such as 

horseback riding and biking. A portion of a population on Moore Creek Uplands was 

purchased by the City of Santa Cruz and WCB in 1998. A management plan for that 

property will be developed by the DFG, City of Santa Cruz, and the Land Trust of Santa 

Cruz County. The remaining portion of that population is on private land. The City is 

also developing a management plan for Pogonip, the location of another population. A 

population in the City of Scotts Valley is included in a grassland preserve, established by 

the Scotts Valley Unified School District. Four other populations on private property 

have the potential to be adversely affected by proposed residential development. 

The status in 1999 of San Francisco popcornflower: Stable. 

Calistoga popcornflower 

(Plagiobothrys strictus) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - E (1997) 

General habitat: Meadow and Seep 


Calistoga popcornflower is an annual herb in the borage family (Boraginaceae). 

It is slender-stemmed with narrow leaves and small white flowers. This species grows in 

swales adjacent to active geysers and hot springs. These seasonal wetlands are underlain 

by a gravelly loam intermixed with clay, and water tables are close to the surface. 

Concentrations of boron, arsenic, and sulphates are high in these areas and a unique 

flora has evolved in them. Only two of the three known occurrences of Calistoga 

San Francisco 

popcornflower 

Calistoga 

popcornflower 


North coast 

semaphore grass 

Napa blue grass 

San Diego 

mesa mint 

popcornflower ever known still remain. These are near the town of Calistoga in Napa 

County. Urbanization and viticulture have extirpated one historic occurrence and 

eliminated much of the species’ habitat. Both remaining occurrences are on privately 

owned land. 

The status in 1999 of Calistoga popcornflower: Unknown. 

North Coast semaphore grass 

(Pleuropogon hooverianus) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


North Coast semaphore grass, a member of the grass family (Poaceae), is a large, 

succulent, perennial grass, with long and flat ribbon-like leaves and a terminal 

unbranched spike or widely spaced spikelets. It grows in moist sites of redwood forests 

and mixed evergreen forest communities and in the margins of vernal pools. This 

species is a northwest California endemic known only from Marin, Sonoma, and 

Mendocino counties. 

There are about a dozen historically known occurrences of North Coast 

semaphore grass. Ten of these are likely extirpated, and two additional populations 

have been found. Elimination of habitat and disruption of natural hydrologic 

conditions have resulted in population declines at all sites. The Sonoma and Mendocino 

county occurrences are privately owned and subject to land conversion. 

The status in 1999 of North Coast semaphore grass: Declining. 

Napa blue grass 

(Poa napensis) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1997) 


Napa blue grass is a tufted, perennial bunchgrass that lacks rhizomes and has 

fertile stems crowded with purplish flowers. This rare grass is known from just two sites 

near Calistoga in Napa County, which also correspond to the two known sites for the 

State-listed threatened Calistoga popcornflower (Plagiobothrys strictus), although Napa 

blue grass occurs in slightly higher, drier areas. It grows in moist meadows that are fed 

by runoff from nearby hot springs. Both Napa blue grass populations are on private 

land and have been reduced by the development of health spas and other construction 

at both sites. Alteration of the hot springs hydrology, early season mowing prior to 

flowering or setting of seed, and residential and commercial development continue to 

threaten this species. Although both occurrences were still extant in 1997, they are 

small and at risk of extirpation by random events such as a severe disease outbreak or 

other natural or human-caused events. 

The status in 1999 of Napa blue grass: Declining. 

San Diego mesa mint 

(Pogogyne abramsii) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1978) 



San Diego mesa mint, a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), is a small, 

aromatic, herbaceous annual with opposite leaves and two-lipped, violet to reddishpurple 

flowers. It is restricted to vernal pools within grasslands, chamise chaparral, and 

coastal sage scrub on the mesas of western San Diego County. In some locations, this 

species is associated with San Diego button-celery (Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii), also 

State and federally listed as endangered. Most of the approximately 35 known, extant 

occurrences are on DOD lands. Protection measures for San Diego mesa mint are 

provided in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Vernal Pools of Southern California, released in 

1998. 

This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan 



The status in 1999 of San Diego mesa mint: Unknown. 

Santa Lucia mint 

(Pogogyne clareana) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 

General Habitat: Riparian Woodland 

Santa Lucia mint is a strong-smelling, herbaceous annual, with low-spreading 

branches, and narrow head-like clusters of reddish-purple flowers. This member of the 

mint family (Lamiaceae) is known only from the tributaries of the Nacimiento River on 

the Hunter-Liggett Military Reservation in Monterey County. It grows in moist, sandy 

soil in riparian habitats. 

A few new occurrences were located on Fort Hunter-Liggett in 1994 and 1995, 

but these new populations do not increase the range of the species. All occurrences on 

Army land may be vulnerable to livestock grazing, feral pigs, military activities, road 

maintenance, too frequent fire, trampling, and OHVs, although all known sites seemed 

to be doing well as of 1998. A management plan should be developed and implemented 

to help protect the populations of Santa Lucia mint. Emphasis should be placed on 

working cooperatively with the Army to secure known occurrences and prevent their 

accidental destruction by military activities or by lack of management. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Lucia mint: Stable. 

Otay Mesa mint 

(Pogogyne nudiuscula) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - E (1993) 


Otay Mesa mint is an aromatic, annual herb with two-lipped, lavender flowers 

and a branched and somewhat spreading habit. This small member of the mint family 

(Lamiaceae) grows in vernal pools on Otay Mesa in southwestern San Diego County in 

association with San Diego button-celery (Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii). Otay Mesa 

mint also occurs on the extension of Otay Mesa in Baja California Norte. 

Approximately six occurrences of Otay Mesa mint are known to exist in 

California. Although once considered widespread near Balboa Park, Mission Valley, and 

University Heights, urbanization has destroyed those occurrences. Urbanization, 

livestock grazing, agricultural conversion, and activities around the second 

International Border crossing with Mexico threaten Otay Mesa mint habitat. Most of 

this plant’s habitat is privately owned. Protection measures for Otay Mesa mint are 

provided in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Vernal Pools of Southern California, released in 

1998. 

Santa Lucia mint 

Otay Mesa mint 


Hickman’s 

cinquefoil 

Hartweg’s golden 

sunburst 

This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan 



The status in 1999 of Otay Mesa mint: Declining. 

Hickman’s cinquefoil 

(Potentilla hickmanii) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1998) 

General Habitats: Coastal Bluff Scrub 


Hickman’s cinquefoil is an herbaceous, slender-stemmed perennial member of 

the rose family (Rosaceae) with leaves divided into many leaflets and numerous yellow 

flowers. Historically, there were four occurrences of Hickman’s cinquefoil, one in 

coastal San Mateo County and three sites on the Monterey Peninsula. It was known 

from seepage areas and other wet sites in coastal prairies or open forested areas along 

the central coast. 

In 1995, a population of Hickman’s cinquefoil was discovered in San Mateo 

County. This population, a portion of which is located within a proposed construction 

zone of the State Highway 1 Devil’s Slide Bypass, was estimated to consist of 2,000 to 

3,000 individuals. In 1997 a decision was made to route Highway 1 through a tunnel, 

thus avoiding the population, which remains on private land. 

Currently, only one of the Monterey peninsula populations, at Indian Village in 

Pebble Beach, is extant; fewer than 30 individuals were seen there in 1997. In 1995, the 

Del Monte Forest Foundation, owners of the property, relocated volleyball and 

horseshoe areas to reduce impact to the population. Clones of one plant were planted 

in several locations in the vicinity of Indian Village to help identify suitable habitat in 

the winter of 1996-97; survival has not been very good, and the plants continue to be 

monitored. Seeds have been collected, and seedlings are proposed to be planted in those 

areas that the clones indicate will support plants. 

The status in 1999 of Hickman’s cinquefoil: Declining. 

Hartweg’s golden sunburst 

(Pseudobahia bahiifolia) 

CA - E (1981) 

FED - E (1997) 

General habitat: Valley and Foothill Grassland 

Hartweg’s golden sunburst is a small, sometimes branched, annual herb in the 

sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is covered with white, woolly hairs, has small heads of 

bright yellow flowers, and its alternate leaves are entire or three-lobed but not divided. 

Historically, Hartweg’s golden sunburst was scattered but locally abundant in valley and 

foothill grasslands of the Central Valley from Yuba County south to Fresno County. It 

is now concentrated in two localized areas of the eastern San Joaquin Valley: the Friant 

region in Madera and Fresno counties and the Cooperstown-La Grange region in 

Stanislaus County. Its range is strongly correlated with the distribution of the Amador 

and Rocklin soil series. Hartweg’s golden sunburst typically occurs on the north- or 

northeast-facing slopes of mima mounds, with the highest densities on upper slopes 

with minimal grass cover. Mima mounds are small mounds often associated with 

vernal pools. Only 14 extant occurrences are known, 8 in Stanislaus County, two in 

Madera County, and four in Fresno County. Part of one population in Fresno County 

occurs on land owned by BOR, and another part of the same population is protected by 

a conservation easement with TNC. All other populations are privately owned. 


Five of the historical occurrences of Hartweg’s golden sunburst have been 

extirpated, including the type-locality in Yuba County. Of the 14 extant occurrences of 

Hartweg’s golden sunburst, 11 are very small and contained fewer than 200 plants each 

in 1990. Conversion of habitat to residential development is currently the most 

significant threat to the species. Additional threats include competition from nonnative 

grasses, incompatible grazing practices, mining, and conversion of habitat to 

agriculture. Approximately half of all Hartweg’s golden sunburst plants occur in Madera 

County in an area proposed for residential development. The two privately owned 

populations in Fresno County are in an area also planned for residential development. 

Species such as Hartweg’s golden sunburst that have very small populations are 

vulnerable to decline and extinction due to genetic problems or to random catastrophic 

events such as floods, attack by insects, disease outbreaks, or extended droughts. 

The status in 1999 of Hartweg’s golden sunburst: Declining. 

San Joaquin adobe sunburst 

(Pseudobahia peirsonii) 

CA - E (1987) 

FED - T (1997) 


San Joaquin adobe sunburst is a small, erect, yellow-flowered, woolly annual 

herb in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Its leaves are twice divided and are arranged 

alternately on the stem. It is restricted to heavy adobe clay soils on the grassy valley 

floor and rolling foothills of the eastern San Joaquin Valley. It is concentrated in three 

major locations: east of Fresno in Fresno County, west of Lake Success in Tulare County, 

and northeast of Bakersfield in Kern County. One population occurs on land owned and 

managed by the Fresno Flood Control District, and two populations occur on land 

owned by COE. All other populations occur on privately owned land. 

Twelve of the 43 historically known occurrences of San Joaquin adobe sunburst 

have been destroyed or are presumed destroyed, all in Tulare County. Of the 31 extant 

occurrences, 18 are small and contain fewer than 250 plants. Approximately 80 percent 

of all plants are contained in four populations. Conversion of natural habitat to 

residential development is the major current threat to the species. Other threats include 

flood control, competition from non-native grasses, incompatible grazing practices, 

road maintenance activities, conversion of habitat to agriculture, transmission line 

maintenance, and recreational activities. Species such as San Joaquin adobe sunburst 

that have very small populations are vulnerable to decline and extinction due to genetic 

problems or to random catastrophic events such as floods, attack by insects, disease 

outbreaks, or extended droughts. 

The largest historically known population of San Joaquin adobe sunburst has 

been reduced by a residential development in Fresno County east of Clovis. The species 

occurred as four subpopulations at the site. Mitigation for the project included 

protection of the two subpopulations with the highest density of plants, and an attempt 

was made to create a new subpopulation in 1993 from seeds and topsoil salvaged from a 

high density subpopulation that was destroyed. In 1994 and 1995, a few plants of San 

Joaquin adobe sunburst were seen at both the preserved and transplanted 

subpopulations, but no plants were seen in 1996 and 1997. The status of this population is 

unclear. The second-largest historically known population of San Joaquin adobe 

sunburst occurs within the Redbank-Fancher Creek Flood Control Project area, in 

Fresno County east of Clovis. Redbank Reservoir was constructed several years ago by 

the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District to temporarily detain water during 

floods. This project was predicted to impact approximately 40 percent of this 

population of San Joaquin adobe sunburst. The current status of this population is 

unknown. A population in Tulare County east of Porterville is threatened by a proposal 

to raise the water level of Lake Success. 

The status in 1999 of San Joaquin adobe sunburst: Declining. 

San Joaquin adobe 

sunburst 


Gambel’s 

watercress 

Tahoe yellow cress 

Gambel’s watercress 

(Rorippa gambellii) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - E (1993) 


Gambel’s watercress is an herbaceous perennial in the mustard family 

(Brassicaceae). This species characteristically roots from the stem, which bears scattered 

compound leaves and dense clusters of white flowers. Gambel’s watercress is found in 

freshwater or brackish marsh habitats at the margins of lakes and along slow-flowing 

streams. It grows in or just above the water level and requires a permanent source of 

water. Historically, Gambel’s watercress occurred in interior wetland areas of San 

Diego, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties, as well as coastal wetland areas of San 

Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. A population from Mexico is thought to be 

extirpated. 

Of a dozen historical locations of Gambel’s watercress in California, only two 

small populations remain. Both are in San Luis Obispo County, one at Little Oso Flaco 

Lake and one at Oso Flaco Lake. Additionally there is one newly discovered population 

on Vandenberg Air Force Base in northern Santa Barbara County. These three 

populations support a total of approximately 700 plants. A historically known 

population in Black Lake Canyon in San Luis Obispo County has not been seen since 

1997. Encroachment of non-native eucalyptus trees and drilling of water wells in the 

immediate watershed are serious threats to the habitat of this species in Black Lake 

Canyon. 

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has prepared a management 

plan for Black Lake Canyon that addresses Gambel’s watercress. In addition, TNC 

recently purchased a conservation easement in the Nipomo Dunes that includes a large 

dune lakes complex. This area, which has not been surveyed by botanists for half a 

century, will be surveyed to determine if other populations exist and if potential 

habitat is available for establishment of experimental populations of this species. 

Beginning in 1993, research into demography, general ecology, and recovery options 

has been conducted by researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara. 

During 1999, researchers recovered seeds from the known occupied locations for 

propagation and planting. A cooperative effort to establish more populations of this 

species at Vandenberg Air Force Base is in progress. Protection measures for Gambel’s 

watercress are included in USFWS’s Recovery Plan for Marsh Sandwort (Arenaria 

paludicola) and Gambel’s watercress (Rorippa gambellii) completed in 1999. 

The status in 1999 of Gambel’s watercress: Declining. 

Tahoe yellow cress 

(Rorippa subumbellata) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 


Meadow and Seep 

Tahoe yellow cress is a creeping, herbaceous perennial with divided leaves and 

terminal, elongated inflorescences of yellow to white flowers. This member of the 

mustard family (Brassicaceae) grows on course sand and cobble deposits in riparian 

communities and along lakeshore margins. Today, populations exist on the margins of 

Lake Tahoe in El Dorado and Placer counties and in Nevada’s Douglas and Washoe 

counties. The plant was historically reported from Tallac Lake near Truckee in Nevada 

County, but this site does not contain suitable habitat; it has been postulated that the 

reference actually was meant to refer to a population near the mouth of Tallac Creek, 

which enters Lake Tahoe. 


In the early 1990s, surveys documented an increase in the number and size of 

Tahoe yellow cress colonies. This was thought to be caused by more habitat being 

available due to lower lake levels. In recent years, including 1997, increased lake levels 

have “drowned” about half of the known colonies, and the remaining colonies have 

been heavily impacted by recreation activities being concentrated on upper levels of 

the beaches and back dunes. The plant appears to depend on a moisture-retaining crust 

that forms in the upper portion of the sand. When this crust is churned and broken by 

heavy foot traffic or raking of beaches to remove litter and cobbles, the area is rendered 

inhabitable for this species. Beach raking has become much more prevalent in the last 

few years and poses a serious threat to the continued existence of Tahoe yellow cress. 

The status in 1999 of Tahoe yellow cress: Unknown. 

Small-leaved rose 

(Rosa minutifolia) 

CA - E (1989) 

FED - None 


Small-leaved rose is a densely spiny, low-growing shrub in the rose family 

(Rosaceae). It has slender, gray shoots, small compound leaves, and showy rose-pink 

flowers. It grows in the coastal sage scrub plant community of Southern California and 

Baja California, Mexico. In the United States, this species was known from a single 

population, discovered in 1985 on private property on Otay Mesa in southwestern San 

Diego County. 

The Otay Mesa population of small-leaved rose was a large, healthy thicket 

occupying an area of approximately 100 square yards. The population appeared to 

represent a large clone, or single genetic individual. A major residential and commercial 

subdivision approved by the City of San Diego resulted in the elimination of the existing 

population in 1997. Efforts are presently underway by the developer to establish 

replacement populations on adjacent habitat in protected, open space preserves on Otay 

Mesa to serve as mitigation for the loss of the only known U.S. population. A number of 

years following establishment of these replacement populations will be needed before a 

reasonable assessment of the translocation efforts can be made, although several 

hundred cuttings are surviving to date. This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple 

Species Conservation Plan NCCP. It is also covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric 

Company Subregional NCCP, a linear NCCP from Orange County to the Mexican 

Border. 

Development of the coastal plain in western Baja California is rapidly converting 

much of the Mexican habitat for small-leaved rose to farmland and other commercial 

or residential uses. 

The status in 1999 of small-leaved rose: Unknown. 

Adobe sanicle 

(Sanicula maritima) 

CA - R (1981) 

FED - None 



Adobe sanicle grows as a stout, aromatic, perennial herb with large basal leaves, 

smaller upper leaves, and yellow flowers in head-like clusters. This member of the 

carrot family (Apiaceae) is found in wet to dry clay soils of coastal prairie and coastal 

sage scrub plant communities. Its distribution is centered in the coastal hills of San Luis 

Obispo and Monterey counties with additional historical records from the San Francisco 

Small-leaved rose 


Rock sanicle 

Gander’s ragwort 

Bay Area. 

Fewer than 10 occurrences of adobe sanicle are still extant and all but two, 

located in the Los Padres National Forest and Andrew Molera State Park, are privately 

owned. Adobe sanicle would benefit from protection of both the privately and 

publicly owned occurrences. Studies to determine its ecological requirements would 

also aid efforts to protect this plant. DFG has no recent information on the status of this 

plant. 

The status in 1999 of adobe sanicle: Unknown. 

Rock sanicle 

(Sanicula saxatilis) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 


Chaparral 

Rock sanicle is a low, stout, perennial herb in the carrot family (Apiaceae) with 

numerous dissected basal leaves and small pale yellow flowers borne in round stalked 

clusters. It can be found on rocky soil, rock outcrops, and talus slopes, usually within the 

chaparral plant community. 

About 10 occurrences of rock sanicle are known. In Contra Costa County, this 

species occurs on the main and north peaks in Mount Diablo State Park. Several 

populations along trails there appear stable and receive few impacts from hikers. In 

Santa Clara County, rock sanicle is known from the vicinity of Mount Hamilton, on 

privately owned land or on property of the University of California’s Lick Observatory, 

and are located in remote areas and so receive little impacts. 

The status in 1999 of rock sanicle: Stable. 

Gander’s ragwort 

(Senecio ganderi) 

CA - R (1982) 

FED - None 


Gander’s ragwort is a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae). This basalleaved, 

perennial herb has compact, yellow-orange flowerheads and leaves suffused 

with purple. Gander’s ragwort usually grows in the understory of mature mixed 

chaparral, or in open areas of recently burned chaparral. It is found in the very 

southwestern part of Riverside County and the foothills of western San Diego County, 

and its habitat is limited to areas of gabbro soils on Lawson, Sycuan, and Tecate peaks; 

Barber, Black, El Cajon, and McGinty Mountains; and Magee Ridge. 

Fewer than a dozen occurrences of Gander’s ragwort have been reported. Some 

occurrences are in undisturbed, protected sites, while others exist in areas threatened 

by residential development. A cooperative preserve on McGinty Mountain managed by 

the DFG, TNC, the County of San Diego DPR, and the Environmental Trust protects the 

known population there. Since July 1995, the DFG and WCB have worked successfully 

with private landowners to acquire 1,270 acres of habitat on Sycuan Peak. An 

additional 220 acres of habitat in private ownership is needed to ensure to complete 

protection of the Sycuan Peak population. Cleveland National Forest manages the 

Barber Mountain, Black Mountain, El Cajon Mountain, and Lawson Peak populations. 

At this time, the population most at risk is the northernmost occurrence of Gander’s 

ragwort on Magee Ridge, where residential development has been proposed. Recent 

efforts to protect the largest populations should help stabilize the current population 

trend and greatly reduce further loss of habitat. 


Studies are needed to determine the role of wildfire management and/or 

prescribed burning with respect to establishment and reproduction in populations of 

Gander’s ragwort. Information from these studies will be crucial to the development of 

recovery strategies for Gander’s ragwort and essential for management of the species in 

the actual and proposed reserves. This species is covered in the San Diego Multiple 

Species Conservation Plan NCCP, which should ensure that a minimum of 80 percent of 

the populations within the southwestern portion of San Diego County will be preserved. 

It is also covered in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company Subregional NCCP, a linear 

NCCP from Orange County to the Mexican border. 

The status in 1999 of Gander’s ragwort: Declining. 

Layne’s ragwort 

(Senecio layneae) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - T (1996) 



Layne’s ragwort is a perennial herb with basal leaves and reduced stem leaves 

and yellow flowers in small heads. The flowers have five to 10 petals arranged in a 

unique, irregular pattern around the head. It is a member of the sunflower family 

(Asteraceae). Its habitat is the gabbro- and serpentine-derived soils of chaparral and 

black oak and interior live oak woodlands in the vicinity of Pine Hill in western El 

Dorado County and the Red Hills of Tuolumne County. Associated species in El Dorado 

County include four other State listed plants: Stebbins’ morning glory (Calystegia 

stebbinsii), Pine Hill ceanothus (Ceanothus roderickii), Pine Hill flannel-bush 

(Fremontodendron decumbens), and El Dorado bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. sierrae). 

The primary threat to Layne’s ragwort is the rapid urbanization of western El 

Dorado County. Although mitigation for impacts to habitat occurs when the County 

approves discretionary projects, the forms of protection that can be conducted on 

relatively small individual parcels is unlikely to result in long-term viability of the 

colonies located on these sites. Rural property owners can clear native understory 

vegetation, graze livestock, or build access roads and outbuildings under ministerial 

permits, resulting in unregulated losses of Layne’s ragwort. 

The DFG is working with federal agencies, local agencies, and interested private 

parties to establish a system of five preserves in the gabbro soil formation that total 

3,400 acres to protect the high concentration of State and federally listed plant species 

that occur in this area. About half of the 3,400 acres is existing public lands, including 

the lands on Pine Hill. Additional lands would be acquired in fee or protected under 

conservation easements with willing participants. Although the County Board of 

Supervisors and the El Dorado Irrigation District are currently participating in the 

development of this plan and recently contributed substantial funds towards the first 

phase of purchasing one of the preserve sites (117 acres), there are many details to be 

resolved regarding how all of the preserve sites will be protected and managed. These 

preserves would ensure at least the partial recovery of this species. 

One of the five preserves is an approximately 400-acre area of occupied habitat 

in the southern half of the Pine Hill gabbro formation in Cameron Park. The first phase 

of this project, protecting 117 acres, was implemented in 1997. This was accomplished 

through funding provided by the federal government, CALTRANS, the National Fish 

and Wildlife Foundation, El Dorado County, and the El Dorado Irrigation District. In 

1998 the community of Cameron Park purchased another 68 acres of habitat. This 

parcel is adjacent to the 117 acres owned by the BLM that were purchased in 1997. 

Funding for the 1998 purchase was from federal and local government sources and the 

parcel is owned by the County. A draft cooperative management agreement is 

currently being circulated among federal, state and local agencies responsible for 

managing rare plant habitat in western El Dorado County. 

During 1997 in El Dorado National Forest, USFS staff worked to eradicate yellow 

Layne’s ragwort 


Owens Valley 

checkerbloom 

Cuesta Pass 

checkerbloom 

star thistle, a non-native species competing with Layne’s ragwort. Also in 1997, a BLM 

botanist discovered a new population of Layne’s ragwort in Yuba County on BLM 

property. Research is being conducted to compare the level of genetic diversity 

between populations of this species. 


Sierra Nevada Foothills in 1998, which addresses recovery needs for Layne’s butterweed. 

The status in 1999 of Layne’s ragwort: Declining. 

Owens Valley checkerbloom 

(Sidalcea covillei) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - None 


Owens Valley checkerbloom, a member of the mallow family (Malvaceae), is a 

several-stemmed, herbaceous perennial with mostly lobed basal leaves and pinkishlavender 

flowers in an elongated flower stalk. This species is endemic to moist, alkaline 

meadows, and freshwater seeps in Owens Valley, east of the Sierra Nevada, in Inyo 

County. 

Most of the occurrences of Owens Valley checkerbloom occur on land owned 

by the LADWP; the others are owned by BLM, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and private 

landowners. Historically, the species declined due to loss of moist habitat from 

groundwater pumping and water diversions. This threat has been reduced in recent 

years at most sites. Many populations are located in areas of livestock grazing. Studies 

into the effect of grazing on checkerbloom populations are needed. Moderate levels of 

grazing appear to be compatible with maintaining populations, particularly where 

livestock graze down competing vegetation. Field studies have shown that plants in 

grazed areas produced fewer flowers and fruits than in ungrazed areas. In areas of very 

heavy grazing, plants appear stunted and sometimes fail to bloom. At certain sites, 

moist meadow habitat supporting this species is being overtaken by an invasive 

peppergrass. In 1998 USFWS, in cooperation with the DFG and other participants, 

developed the Owens Basin Wetland and Aquatic Species Recovery Plan; a multispecies 

recovery plan for aquatic and wetland habitats in the Owens Basin, including areas 

supporting Owens Valley checkerbloom. The plan proposes to create an array of large 

conservation areas, for which management plans will be prepared to address 

improvement in habitat conditions for a suite of rare, endemic species found here. 

The status in 1999 of Owens Valley checkerbloom: Stable. 

Cuesta Pass checkerbloom 

(Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. anomala) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 


Chaparral 

Cuesta Pass checkerbloom is a perennial herb in the mallow family (Malvaceae), 

distinguished by its covering of grayish, star-shaped hairs, rounded basal leaves and 

deeply lobed stem leaves and pinkish-lavender flowers above broad bracts. It grows in 

open sites on serpentine rock and soils at in the vicinity of Sargent cypress forest. It is 

restricted to a small area of San Luis Obispo County on West Cuesta Ridge. 

The Highway 41 wildfire of August 1994 burned tens of thousands of acres in 

Los Padres National Forest including the known population of the checkerbloom on 

West Cuesta Ridge. Prior to the fire, this population consisted of fewer than 50 

individuals. Surveys in 1995 and 1996 revealed that the checkerbloom extends 


throughout the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Area and beyond, including most of the 

serpentine soils on west Cuesta Ridge. The population boomed to tens of thousands of 

individuals after the 1994 wildfire. 

The status in 1999 of Cuesta Pass checkerbloom: Stable. 

Parish’s checkerbloom 

(Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. parishii) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 



Parish’s checkerbloom is a woody, root-crowned perennial covered with coarse, 

gray hairs. This member of the mallow family (Malvaceae) has rounded leaves with 

scalloped edges and elongated inflorescences of pinkish-lavender flowers. It grows in 

burned or cleared areas on dry, rocky slopes of both scrub oak and yellow pine forest 

communities in the San Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino County, and in several 

ranges of Santa Barbara County. Most sites are on land owned by USFS. 

Thirteen occurrences of Parish’s checkerbloom are known, primarily from Los 

Padres and San Bernardino National Forests. Recent field surveys updated information 

on six of the occurrences in the Los Padres National Forest. All but one of these 

supported fewer than 25 plants, and most were threatened by road work and grazing. 

One population appeared to be extirpated. Parish’s checkerbloom would benefit from a 

management plan and from studies designed to determine the effects of grazing and 

wildland fire suppression. 

The status in 1999 of Parish’s checkerbloom: Declining. 

Kenwood Marsh checkerbloom 

(Sidalcea oregana ssp. valida) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1997) 


Kenwood Marsh checkerbloom, a member of the mallow family (Malvaceae), is 

a many-stemmed, perennial herb with deeply lobed stem leaves and dense, spike-like 

inflorescences of pink to mauve flowers. Only two occurrences of this California 

endemic are known, one in Kenwood Marsh and the other in Knights Valley, both in 

Sonoma County. 

Both sites are located on private land and have had the natural hydrology altered 

and habitat eliminated by nearby housing development, cattle grazing, and agricultural 

practices. There are no management agreements with the private landowners. Up-todate 

information and conservation actions are needed to prevent further impacts to 

Kenwood marsh checkerbloom and its marsh habitat. 

The status in 1999 of Kenwood Marsh checkerbloom: Declining. 

Pedate checkerbloom 

(Sidalcea pedata) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1984) 

Parish’s 

checkerbloom 

General Habitat: Meadow and Seep Pedate 

checkerbloom 


Scadden Flat 

checkerbloom 

Red Mountain 

catchfly 

Pedate checkerbloom is a slender, pinkish-rose flowered perennial in the 

mallow family (Malvaceae). This species is restricted to moist meadows, sparsely 

vegetated drier meadow margins and forested areas in Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino 

County. A large number of endemic species occur in the area, including the State and 

federally endangered slender-petaled mustard (Thelypodium stenopetalum). Most 

occurrences are privately owned, although some of these are voluntarily protected 

through TNC’s Registry of Natural Areas. The other occurrences are on property 

owned by the DFG, the City of Big Bear, and USFS. 

Pedate checkerbloom was probably more widespread prior to construction of a 

dam in the 1890s that flooded much of its meadow habitat and created Big Bear Lake. 

The western portion of its range has been highly fragmented by urban development in 

the City of Big Bear Lake. Populations in the eastern portion around Baldwin Lake are 

in better condition. The chief threat to the species is loss of habitat from development, 

recreation, alterations in hydrology, intensive grazing, and excessive growth of 

competing vegetation. The DFG carefully monitored protected populations at the 

North Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve from 1990 through 1994 and found that the 

numbers of adult plants and first year plants increased in years with more rainfall. 

WCB recently acquired a 16-acre property on the western border of the ecological 

reserve, which will further strengthen protection of this remarkable botanical area. 

Habitat protection is urgently needed for populations in the City of Big Bear Lake. 

Unmitigated losses of plants continue in this area. In 1997, USFWS released a draft 

recovery plan, which provides a strategy to address protection and recovery of the 

species. Additional habitat acquisition and protection is key to preventing further 

declines. 

The status in 1999 of pedate checkerbloom: Stable to Declining. 

Scadden Flat checkerbloom 

(Sidalcea stipularis) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 


Scadden Flat checkerbloom is a perennial herb in the mallow family 

(Malvaceae). It grows from elongated rhizomes and has basal leaves without lobes, and 

mauve flowers in densely branched inflorescences. It grows in a wet montane marsh 

habitat fed by local springs, which also supports many plants normally found at higher 

elevations. It is known from three small populations in Nevada County. One of the 

populations, in the vicinity of Peardale, is thought to have been established through 

transplanting. A portion of the Scadden Flat population is on a CALTRANS right-ofway. 

DFG has no recent information on the status of this plant. 

The status in 1999 of Scadden Flat checkerbloom: Unknown. 

Red Mountain catchfly 

(Silene campanulata ssp. campanulata) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - None 


Red Mountain catchfly, a member of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), is a 

short, much-branched, perennial herb with long, narrow leaves, short, glandular hairs 

and cream to greenish or pink flowers. It occurs on rocky, dry serpentine soils within 

lower montane coniferous forest and montane chaparral communities on Red 

Mountain and Little Red Mountain in Mendocino County. Among its associates in 

Mendocino County is McDonald’s rock cress (Arabis macdonaldiana), which is State and 


federally listed as endangered. A population of Red Mountain catchfly also occurs on 

serpentine soils in the vicinity of Cook Springs, Colusa County. 

There are fewer than 13 occurrences of Red Mountain catchfly, 3 of which were 

discovered on the Shasta-Trinity National Forests in 1998. It occurs on private land in 

Colusa County and on mining company land, public land administered by BLM and 

USFS, and on the DFG’s Little Red Mountain Ecological Reserve in Mendocino County. 

Although there are no active mining claims in the Red Mountain area, all of the 

occurrences owned privately and by BLM are subject to mineral extraction by strip 

mining operations for nickel and chromium. BLM has designated Red Mountain as an 

ACEC and conducted studies on the population dynamics and reproductive biology of 

the species there. These populations continue to be monitored as part of a long-term 

study being conducted by CSU Sacramento, with support from BLM. 

The status in 1999 of Red Mountain catchfly: Stable. 

Tiburon jewelflower 

(Streptanthus niger) 

CA - E (1990) 

FE - E (1995) 


Tiburon jewelflower is a simple to much branched, annual herb in the mustard 

family (Brassicaceae). The flowers with dark purple sepals and narrow, white petals 

with light-purple centers appear at the end of May. The long, narrow seed capsules open 

in late June, releasing seeds. Seedlings appear in March and April. This species grows on 

shallow, rocky soils derived from serpentine rock on south- or west-facing slopes within 

a native bunchgrass plant community. Tiburon jewelflower is known from only two 

occurrences on the Tiburon Peninsula in Marin County. Combined, the two 

occurrences of Tiburon jewelflower cover approximately 12 acres of habitat. Both 

occurrences are partially privately and publicly owned. This species was possibly once 

more widespread on the Peninsula, since other serpentine outcrop areas have been lost 

to residential development. 

In 1997, the DFG held two recovery workshops to address Tiburon jewelflower 

and 11 other plants known from serpentine habitats in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Habitat loss to invasive species such as broom, pampas grass, and Himalaya berry, and 

loss of some habitat to a proposed residential development were identified as threats to 

the two remaining populations. The workshop identified the development of habitat 

management methods to increase regeneration as a primary need. In 1998, plant 

numbers were up significantly from 1997, a very poor year for the species. Management 

and recovery actions for the species have been addressed in the USFWS’s Recovery Plan 

for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, finalized in 1998. 

The status in 1999 of Tiburon jewelflower: Declining. 

Eureka Valley dune grass 

(Swallenia alexandrae) 

CA - R (1981) 

FED - E (1978) 


Eureka Valley dune grass is a stiff, branched, perennial member of the grass 

family (Poaceae). This species grows from a long, branched, scaly rhizome, which 

spreads through the sandy substrate. Eureka Valley dune grass is confined to a few 

occurrences on the active desert dunes of Eureka Valley, Inyo County. Research done 

under contract with the DFG, using federal Section 6 grant funds, revealed that 

although seed production in Eureka Valley dune grass is low and variable, seeds and 

Tiburon 

jewelflower 

Eureka Valley 

dune grass 


Slender-petaled 

thelypodium 

Santa Ynez 

false-lupine 

plants are long-lived. 

The Eureka Dunes are part of Death Valley National Park. The native vegetation 

of the Eureka Dunes is threatened by expansion of Russian thistle, which became 

established on the dunes during the period of intense disturbance by OHVs prior to 

closure to such vehicles when the dunes were managed by BLM. A new, legal 

recreational activity, sandboarding, also poses a direct threat to the dune grass. 

The status in 1999 of Eureka Valley dune grass: Stable to Declining. 

Slender-petaled thelypodium 

(Thelypodium stenopetalum) 

CA - E (1982) 

FED - E (1984) 


Slender-petaled thelypodium, a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), is 

a much-branched biennial herb with an open flower stalk of mauve flowers. This 

mustard is endemic to Big Bear Valley in San Bernardino County and grows in 

seasonally moist, alkaline clay soils associated with seeps, springs, and meadows. A large 

number of endemic species occurs in the area, including the State and federally 

endangered pedate checkerbloom (Sidalcea pedata). 

Slender-petaled thelypodium occurs in the north, south and west end of 

Baldwin Lake, Eagle Point in the City of Big Bear Lake, and Upper Holcomb Valley. 

Populations at the North Baldwin Lake Ecological Reserve are protected by the DFG, 

and Upper Holcomb Valley is a USFS-designated Botanical Special Interest Area. The Big 

Bear Community Services District owns several populations around Pan Hot Springs 

(West Baldwin) and south Baldwin Lake and has cooperated with the DFG in providing 

protective management for some sites. The Eagle Point occurrence occupies a sevenacre 

meadow-pebble plain complex within a developing housing tract, and is partially 

protected through an open space designation. This site represents one of the few 

protected habitat areas for slender-petaled mustard, pedate checkerbloom, and other 

rare endemics on the west end of Big Bear Valley. In 1997, USFWS released a draft 

recovery plan for this species, which should aid in guiding management and recovery 

efforts. 

The status in 1999 of slender-petaled mustard: Stable. 

Santa Ynez false-lupine 

(Thermopsis macrophylla var. agnina) 

CA - R (1981) 

FED - None 


Santa Ynez false-lupine is a stout, herbaceous perennial with woolly stems and 

leaves and spikes of yellow flowers. It reaches a height of about six feet. This member 

of the pea family (Fabaceae) occurs in the Santa Ynez Mountains of Santa Barbara 

County. It can be seen growing in disturbed sites and openings in the chaparral, and it 

germinates well after fire. The occurrences are entirely within Los Padres National 

Forest. 

There are about 10 occurrences of the Santa Ynez false-lupine; only five have 

been seen since 1960. According to a recent study, this species responds to fire by 

producing great numbers of seed and may depend on fire to maintain a sizable seed 

bank in the soil. Although recognized as a sensitive species, Santa Ynez false-lupine 

lacks active management programs. 

The status in 1999 of Santa Ynez false-lupine: Declining. 


Pacific Grove clover 

(Trifolium polyodon) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - None 



Pacific Grove clover is a low, annual herb in the pea family (Fabaceae). This 

small clover has muted purple flowers with lighter tips and occurs in moist grassland 

areas in the vicinity of the Monterey Peninsula. 

This species is known from 13 sites on the Monterey and Point Lobos Peninsulas, 

sites immediately inland from these areas, and from Fort Ord. The Fort Ord populations 

are owned and managed by the BLM. All of the remaining occurrences for Pacific 

Grove clover are in private ownership. In 1997, the DFG initiated recovery activities on 

the Monterey peninsula for the Pacific Grove clover, in cooperation with the 

landowners, the Del Monte Forest Foundation, and the Pebble Beach Company. Actions 

include mowing and weeding to reduce competition by weedy native and non-native 

plants. 

The status in 1999 of Pacific Grove clover: Stable. 

Monterey clover 

(Trifolium trichocalyx) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1998) 


Monterey clover is a small, low-growing, branched, herbaceous annual with 

wedge-shaped leaflets and small, pale purple flowers. This member of the pea family 

(Fabaceae) has an extremely limited distribution. It is confined to a small portion of the 

Monterey Peninsula in the Bishop pine/Monterey pine/pygmy cypress plant 

community. Nutrient-poor ancient podzol-like soils in this habitat are poorly drained 

and underlain with hardpan. 

This species appears in large numbers only after fire burns through its habitat 

removing the vegetative cover. Before the 1987 fire at Huckleberry hill, Monterey 

clover was known only from small occurrences at the Morse Botanical Reserve and near 

Highway 68 in the central portion of the Monterey peninsula. In spring 1988, much 

larger populations were identified along Costanilla Way and Los Altos Road and in the 

Morse Botanical Reserve. A small number of plants were observed near Highway 68 

following a fire in 1990. Surveys in 1995 identified two occurrences of Monterey clover 

with a total of 22 plants along Costanilla Way. 

As recommended in a 1995 recovery workshop that the DFG held in cooperation 

with USFWS, the DFG is using federal Section 6 grant funds to investigate the potential 

for different management scenarios, including prescribed fire, to encourage the 

Monterey clover. Various management techniques were applied to clover habitat in 

1998 and continue to be monitored. In the absence of fire, or a reasonable habitat 

disturbance alternative, this species could become extirpated and potentially rendered 

extinct. 

The status in 1999 of Monterey clover: Stable to Declining. 

Pacific Grove 

clover 

Monterey clover 


Greene’s Orcutt grass 

(Tuctoria greenei) 

CA - R (1979) 

FED - E (1997) 



Greene’s Orcutt grass is a pale green, hairy, tufted annual grass. This unusual 

member of the grass family (Poaceae) grows in the dried bottom of vernal pools of the 

Central Valley. It is currently found in Butte, Merced, Shasta, and Tehama counties and 

is believed to be extirpated from Fresno, Madera, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare 

counties. Associated species in some locations include the State listed hairy Orcutt grass 

(Orcuttia pilosa), slender Orcutt grass (O. tenuis), San Joaquin Valley Orcutt grass (Orcuttia 

inaequalis), and Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop (Gratiola heterosepala). 

Over half of the nearly 40 known occurrences of Greene’s Orcutt grass have 

been extirpated through habitat conversion to irrigated agriculture and intensive cattle 

grazing. It continues to be threatened by destruction of vernal pools for agriculture and 

urban developments. Additional threats to Greene’s Orcutt grass include competition 

from weeds, particularly cocklebur and swamp grass or swamp timothy, and 

consumption by grasshoppers. Greene’s Orcutt grass is particularly sensitive to livestock 

trampling because it germinates as the pool water is receding, whereas many other 

vernal pool plants are already established at this phase. Research is currently being 

conducted on the effects of grazing. Despite intensive surveys of vernal pools during 

the past 10 years, only five new occurrences have been located. Protection measures for 

this species should be in USFWS’s Draft California Vernal Pool Ecosystem Recovery Plan. 

The status in 1999 of Greene’s Orcutt grass: Declining. 

Crampton’s Orcutt grass (= Solano grass) 

(Tuctoria mucronata) 

CA - E (1979) 

FED - E (1978) 


Crampton’s Orcutt grass, a member of the grass family (Poaceae), is a sticky, 

aromatic annual grass with a dense spike of overlapping flower spikelets that emerge 

from the upper leaves. It grows in the clay bottoms of vernal pools of the Central 

Valley grassland. Crampton’s Orcutt grass is known from only three locations. 

Only two plants have been observed since 1987 at the site at which Crampton’s 

Orcutt grass was first discovered, and despite extensive surveys, none have been seen in 

the past six years. The cause of the decline of this population is unknown; possible 

causes are overcollection, changes in hydrology, displacement by other species, or a 

combination of these or other factors. The second population, which has always been 

very small, occurs in Solano County on private land and has not been visited since 1992; 

its status is unknown. The third population occurs at a communications facility in Yolo 

County owned by DOD, where 10,000 plants were observed in 1993 and 2,700 in 1996, 

the last year for which the DFG has data. 

The 1999 Status of Crampton’s Orcutt grass: Declining. 


California verbena 

(Verbena californica) 

CA - T (1994) 

FED - T (1998) 

General Habitat: Riparian Woodland 

California verbena, a member of the vervain family (Verbenaceae), is a tall, 

perennial herb with spikes of small, light purple flowers. It is restricted to intermittent 

or small, perennial streams underlain by serpentine rocks within the Red Hills area of 

Tuolumne County. Only 10 populations of California verbena are known, all within a 

band approximately one-half mile wide and five miles long. 

Historical placer mining activities appear to have reduced the size of several 

California verbena populations. Some existing populations are threatened by 

recreational gold mining and by livestock grazing and trampling. The greatest current 

threat to its survival is conversion of habitat to residential development. Tuolumne 

County is one of California’s fastest growing counties. Seven of the populations are 

located on BLM land within the Red Hills Management Area, which has been designated 

an ACEC. The remaining three populations are on private land, including the two 

largest populations which comprise approximately 85 percent of the total known plants. 

The second largest population, at Andrews Creek, adjoins BLM land. In 1996, after a 

planned high-density subdivision at the Andrews Creek site was blocked in the courts, a 

previously county approved development with 38-acre lots became effective. Current 

zoning allows two residences to be built upon each of these lots. In 1997, after the DFG 

and BLM effort to purchase and add it to the Red Hills Management Area were 

unsuccessful, access roads for the development were built. There is great concern that the 

development will threaten the California verbena and many other rare species at the site 

through habitat destruction and fragmentation, groundwater depletion, decline in 

groundwater quality from septic system leachate, and livestock trampling. A major 

concern is that residential wells could lower the water table and dry up the moist areas 

that support California verbena at this site. 

The status in 1999 of California verbena: Declining. 

Big-leaved crown-beard 

(Verbesina dissita) 

CA - T (1990) 

FED - T (1996) 


Chaparral 

Big-leaved crown-beard is a semi-woody, perennial shrub in the sunflower 

family (Asteraceae). It grows up to three feet tall and bears terminal clusters of bright 

yellow flowers. This species occurs primarily on steep, rocky, north-facing slopes within 

1.5 miles of the ocean in a maritime chaparral plant community. The densest 

populations are found on shaded slopes under a layer of shrubs. Native occurrences of 

big-leaved crown-beard are in two widely disjunct areas. In California, this species is 

restricted to a few canyons in southern Laguna Beach, Orange County. It also occurs in 

Baja California Norte approximately 90 miles south of San Diego. Slash and burn 

practices and resort and residential development have impacted Baja populations. 

In California, only two populations exist. They are located two miles from each 

other and cover between 20 and 25 acres. The primary threat to big-leaved crown-beard 

is destruction and modification of its habitat. In California, small-scale residential 

development continues to destroy and fragment suitable habitat. Other threats are 

grading, fire break maintenance, and vegetation fuel clearance zones. 

The status in 1999 of big-leaved crown-beard: Declining. 

Big-leaved 

crown-beard

PLANTS - California Department of Fish and Game

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