Taxon Report
Chloropyron maritimum (Benth.) A. Heller ssp. palustre (Behr) Tank & J.M. EggerPoint Reyes salty bird's-beak |
 ©2017 John Doyen |
Taxon Summary
Chloropyron maritimum ssp. palustre, commonly known as Point Reyes salty bird's-beak, is a annual herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Marshes and swamps, growing at elevations from 0 to 10 meters. Chloropyron maritimum ssp. palustre is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Chloropyron maritimum (Benth.) A. Heller ssp. palustre (Behr) Tank & J.M. Egger |
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Common Name: |
Point Reyes salty bird's-beak |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Element Code: | PDSCR0J0C3 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | annual herb (hemiparasitic) |
| Blooming Period: Jun-Oct | Jun-Oct |
| Elevation: | 0-10 (0-35) |
| General Habitats: | Marshes and swamps |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G4?T2 |
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State Rank: |
S2 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 80 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 7 |
| Good (B) | 32 |
| Fair (C) | 5 |
| Poor (D) | 4 |
| None (X) | 11 |
| Unknown (U) | 21 |
| California Endemic: False | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Alameda (ALA)*, Humboldt (HUM), Marin (MRN), San Francisco (SFO), San Luis Obispo (SLO), San Mateo (SMT)*, Santa Clara (SCL)*, Sonoma (SON) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Arcata South (4012471), Bodega Head (3812331), Bolinas (3712286), Cannibal Island (4012463), Drakes Bay (3812218), Eureka (4012472), Fields Landing (4012462), Inverness (3812217), Milpitas (3712148)*, Morro Bay South (3512037), Mountain View (3712241)*, Newark (3712251), Novato (3812215), Oakland East (3712272), Oakland West (3712273)*, Petaluma River (3812225), Point Reyes NE (3812227), Redwood Point (3712252)*, Richmond (3712283), San Francisco North (3712274), San Leandro (3712262)*, San Mateo (3712253)*, San Quentin (3712284)*, San Rafael (3712285), Tomales (3812228), Tyee City (4012482) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 16 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 33 | 41 % | |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 17 | 21% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 10 | 12% |
| Other | 10 | 12% |
| Grazing | 7 | 8% |
| Development | 7 | 8% |
| Erosion/runoff | 5 | 6% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 4 | 5% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 3 | 3% |
| Pollution | 3 | 3% |
| Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime | 3 | 3% |
| ORV activity | 3 | 3% |
| Vandalism/dumping/litter | 2 | 2% |
| Surface water diversion | 1 | 1% |
| Insufficient population/stand size | 1 | 1% |
| Degraded water quality | 1 | 1% |
| Disking | 1 | 1% |
Notes
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Once rather common in proper habitat; now greatly reduced by development. Also threatened by foot traffic, non-native plants, hydrological alterations, cattle grazing and trampling. State listed as Endangered in OR. See Proceedings of the California Academy of Science |
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Threats: |
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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 24 October 2025].