Taxon Report

Monardella undulata Benth. ssp. undulata

San Luis Obispo monardella

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Monardella undulata ssp. undulata, commonly known as San Luis Obispo monardella, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Lamiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal dunes, and Coastal scrub (sandy), growing at elevations from 10 to 200 meters. Monardella undulata ssp. undulata is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Monardella undulata Benth. ssp. undulata
Common Name:	San Luis Obispo monardella
Family:	Lamiaceae
Element Code:	PDLAM180X0
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Monardella undulata Benth. var. frutescens Hoov. Monardella frutescens

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: May-Sep	May-Sep
Elevation:	10-200 (35-655)
General Habitats:	Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G3T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	21
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	5
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	15

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Luis Obispo (SLO), Santa Barbara (SBA)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Casmalia (3412075), Nipomo (3512014), Oceano (3512015), Orcutt (3412074), Point Arguello (3412056), Point Sal (3412086), Surf (3412065)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	9	43 %
Non-native plant impacts	4	19%
ORV activity	4	19%
Road/trail construction/maint.	3	14%
Development	2	9%
Feral pigs	1	4%

Notes



Threatened by coastal development and vehicles. Potentially threatened by non-native plants. Hybridizes with M. crispa. See Leaflets of Western Botany 5:179-182 (1949) for original description, and Phytologia 72(1):9-16 (1992) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 4 November 2025].