Species Details

Castilleja ambigua var. ambigua

johnny-nip

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Photo of Castilleja ambigua var. ambigua

Species Description:

Castilleja ambigua var. ambigua, commonly known as johnny-nip, is a annual herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal prairie, Coastal scrub, Marshes and swamps, Valley and foothill grassland, and Vernal pools (margins), growing at elevations from 0 to 435 meters. Castilleja ambigua var. ambigua is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification

Scientific Name: Castilleja ambigua Hook. & Arn. var. ambigua
Common Name: johnny-nip
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR0D401
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names: Castilleja ambigua ssp. ambigua
Name Status:	JEP, FNA, POWO, IPNI, Tropicos

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Fed List:	None
State List:	None
Global Rank:	G5T4
State Rank:	S3S4
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:
Add Date:	2009-02-04
Date Edited:	2024-08-06

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: annual herb (hemiparasitic)

Blooming Period: Mar-Aug

Elevation:
0 - 435 meters
0 - 1425 feet

General Habitats:

Coastal bluff scrub
Coastal prairie
Coastal scrub
Marshes and swamps
Valley and foothill grassland
Vernal pools (margins)

Microhabitat Details:

Microhabitat:

Notes

Notes: Threatened by development. See C. ambigua ssp. ambigua in TJM 2. See Phytologia 90(1):63-82 (2008) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

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

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Element Occurrence Ranks:
Total Occurrences:					0
A	B	C	D	X	U
0	0	0	0	0	0

Occurrence Status:
Historical >20 Years	0
Recent <=20 Years	0

Presence:
Presumed Extant	0
Possibly Extirpated	0
Presumed Extirpated	0

Location

California Endemic:

California Island:

States: Name (Code)
California (CA), Oregon (OR), Washington (WA)

California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Alameda (ALA), Contra Costa (CCA), Del Norte (DNT), Humboldt (HUM), Marin (MRN), Mendocino (MEN), Napa (NAP), San Mateo (SMT), Santa Cruz (SCR), Solano (SOL), Sonoma (SON)

Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Benicia (3812212), Bolinas (3712286), Briones Valley (3712282), Camp Meeker (3812248), Capell Valley (3812242), Crescent City (4112472), Cuttings Wharf (3812223), Drakes Bay (3812218), Fort Bragg (3912347), Gualala (3812375), Healdsburg (3812257), Inverness (3812217), Kenwood (3812245), Mare Island (3812213), Mendocino Pass (3912278), Montara Mountain (3712254), Napa (3812233), Novato (3812215), Oakland East (3712272), Oakland West (3712273), Pigeon Point (3712224), Plantation (3812353), Point Bonita (3712275), Point Reyes NE (3812227), Redcrest (4012348), San Francisco North (3712274), San Leandro (3712262), San Mateo (3712253), San Quentin (3712284), San Rafael (3712285), Santa Cruz (3612281), Sears Point (3812224), Sebastopol (3812247), St. Helena (3812254), Stewarts Point (3812364), Tomales (3812228), Two Rock (3812237), Vine Hill (3812211), Walnut Creek (3712281), Yountville (3812243)

Notes:

Definitions of codes following a county and/or quad:
*		Presumed extirpated
(?)		Occurrence confirmed, but possibly extirpated
Quad and county data is imported from the CNDDB. Species may be present in other areas where conditions are favorable. These data should NOT be substituted for pre-project review or for on-site surveys.

Regional Map

Map

Presumed Extant

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CNPS Rare Plant Inventory