Taxon Report

Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia (Parry) Small

Baja California birdbush

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Taxon Summary

Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia, commonly known as Baja California birdbush, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the Ericaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, growing at elevations from 55 to 800 meters. Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia (Parry) Small
Common Name:
Baja California birdbush
Family: Ericaceae
Element Code: PDERI0W010
USDA Plants Symbol: OROP
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial evergreen shrub
Blooming Period: Jan-Apr Jan-Apr
Elevation: 55-800 (180-2625)
General Habitats: Chaparral
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank: 2B.1
Global Rank: G3
State Rank:
S1
State List: CE
Fed List: None
Other Status: SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:
  • changed from 2.1 to 2B.1 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 1
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 0
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Imperial Beach (3211751)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 4
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
1 100 %
Improper burning regime 1 100%
Other 1 100%
Road/trail construction/maint. 1 100%
Vandalism/dumping/litter 1 100%

Notes

Known in CA from only one occurrence west of San Ysidro near the Mexican border. Threatened by Border Patrol activities.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
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 February 2025].