Taxon Report

Orthocarpus pachystachyus Gray

Shasta orthocarpus

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Orthocarpus pachystachyus, commonly known as Shasta orthocarpus, is a annual herb in the Orobanchaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Meadows and seeps, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 840 to 850 meters. Orthocarpus pachystachyus is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Orthocarpus pachystachyus Gray
Common Name:	Shasta orthocarpus
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR1H0L0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ORPA
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: May	May
Elevation:	840-850 (2755-2790)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Meadows and seeps, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	4
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	3

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Ash Creek Butte (4112241), China Mtn. (4112245), Gazelle (4112255), Hotlum (4112243), Juniper Flat (4112253), Lake Shastina (4112254), Mt. Shasta (4112242), The Whaleback (4112252), West Haight Mtn. (4112251), Yreka (4112266)*

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	25 %
Development	1	25%

Notes



Rediscovered by D. Taylor in 1996. Historical occurrences probably extirpated by agriculture and grazing.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Orthocarpus pachystachyus account for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2020)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 October 2025].