Taxon Report

Castilleja lasiorhyncha (Gray) Chuang & Heckard

San Bernardino Mountains owl's-clover

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Castilleja lasiorhyncha, commonly known as San Bernardino Mountains owl's-clover, is a annual herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Meadows and seeps, Pebble (Pavement) plain, Riparian woodland, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1300 to 2390 meters. Castilleja lasiorhyncha is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Castilleja lasiorhyncha (Gray) Chuang & Heckard
Common Name:
San Bernardino Mountains owl's-clover
Family: Orobanchaceae
Element Code: PDSCR0D410
USDA Plants Symbol: CALA69
Synonyms/Other Names:
  • Orthocarpus lasiorhynchus Gray

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: annual herb (hemiparasitic)
Blooming Period: May-Aug May-Aug
Elevation: 1300-2390 (4265-7840)
General Habitats: Chaparral, Meadows and seeps, Pebble (Pavement) plain, Riparian woodland, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat: Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 46
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 2
   Good (B) 9
   Fair (C) 7
   Poor (D) 4
   None (X) 1
   Unknown (U) 23
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Riverside (RIV)*, San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Big Bear City (3411637), Big Bear Lake (3411628), Butler Peak (3411731), Fawnskin (3411638), Forest Falls (3411618), Harrison Mtn. (3411722), Idyllwild (3311666)*, Keller Peak (3411721), Lake Arrowhead (3411732), Moonridge (3411627), San Bernardino North (3411723), San Jacinto Peak (3311676)*, Silverwood Lake (3411733)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 12
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
27 59 %
ORV activity 12 26%
Development 11 23%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 10 21%
Foot traffic/trampling 9 19%
Non-native plant impacts 7 15%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime 3 6%
Erosion/runoff 2 4%
Grazing 2 4%
Road/trail construction/maint. 2 4%
Vandalism/dumping/litter 1 2%
Logging 1 2%
Mining 1 2%

Notes

Threatened by development, mining, non-native plants, water diversions, grazing, fire suppression, vehicles, and recreational activities. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 12:82 (1876) for original description, and Systematic Botany 16(4):644-666 (1991) for revised nomenclature.
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 19 April 2025].