Taxon Report

Plagiobothrys lithocaryus (Greene) Jtn.

Mayacamas popcornflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Plagiobothrys lithocaryus, commonly known as Mayacamas popcornflower, is a annual herb in the Boraginaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 300 to 450 meters. Plagiobothrys lithocaryus is ranked 1A, Plants Presumed Extirpated in California and Either Rare or Extinct Elsewhere.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Plagiobothrys lithocaryus (Greene) Jtn.
Common Name:	Mayacamas popcornflower
Family:	Boraginaceae
Element Code:	PDBOR0V0P0
USDA Plants Symbol:	PLLI
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Apr-May	Apr-May
Elevation:	300-450 (985-1475)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:	Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1A
Global Rank:	GX
State Rank:	SX
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	2
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	2

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lake (LAK), Mendocino (MEN)?
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Lakeport (3912218), Potter Valley (3912331)?, Redwood Valley (3912332)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes



Known only from the type collection by Curran (Lakeport, LAK Co.) in 1884 and an uncertain collection by Purpus (Potter Valley, MEN Co.) in 1899; should be looked for in these areas.
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 29 October 2025].