Taxon Report
Lycium brevipes Benth var. hassei (Greene) Hitchc.Santa Catalina Island desert-thorn |
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Taxon Summary
Lycium brevipes var. hassei, commonly known as Santa Catalina Island desert-thorn, is a perennial deciduous shrub in the Solanaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal bluff scrub, and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 65 to 300 meters. Lycium brevipes var. hassei is ranked 3.1, Plants About Which We Need More Information, A Review List; Seriously threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Lycium brevipes Benth var. hassei (Greene) Hitchc. |
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Common Name: |
Santa Catalina Island desert-thorn |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Element Code: | PDSOL0G0N0 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial deciduous shrub |
| Blooming Period: Jun(Aug) | Jun(Aug) |
| Elevation: | 65-300 (215-985) |
| General Habitats: | Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal scrub |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 3.1 |
| Global Rank: | G5T1Q |
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State Rank: |
S1 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 7 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 0 |
| Good (B) | 1 |
| Fair (C) | 1 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 2 |
| Unknown (U) | 3 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Los Angeles (LAX), Orange (ORA) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Redondo Beach (3311874), San Clemente (3311745), San Clemente Island Central (3211874), San Clemente Island North (3211885)*, San Pedro (3311863), Santa Catalina East (3311833)* | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 3 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 3 | 43 % | |
| Development | 1 | 14% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 1 | 14% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 1 | 14% |
Notes
| Previously CRPR 1B.1; taxonomic distinctiveness from var. brevipes is uncertain. Originally treated as a Channel Islands endemic, CRPR 1A plant, but plants determined to be var. hassei have recently been found throughout the range of the species; needs further study. Rediscovered on the Palos Verdes Peninsula (LAX Co.) by A. Sanders in 1976, where plants are an extreme variant and only a few remain; the occurrence was diminished by grading in the 1930's. Rediscovered on SCM Is. in 2005, where previously only known from a single wild specimen that died in 1908. The only other wild specimen known from the Channel Islands (SCT Is.) died in 1936. See Pittonia 1:222 (1888) for original description, and Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 19:256-257 (1932) for taxonomic treatment. |
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Threats: |
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Taxonomy: |
Selected References
| CRPR List Change on 2016-03-01 |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 5 November 2025].