Taxon Report
Chloropyron molle (A. Gray) A. Heller ssp. mollesoft salty bird's-beak |
 © 2014 John Doyen |
Taxon Summary
Chloropyron molle ssp. molle, commonly known as soft salty bird's-beak, is a annual herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Marshes and swamps, growing at elevations from 0 to 3 meters. Chloropyron molle ssp. molle 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 molle (A. Gray) A. Heller ssp. molle |
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Common Name: |
soft salty bird's-beak |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Element Code: | PDSCR0J0D2 |
| 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-Nov | Jun-Nov |
| Elevation: | 0-3 (0-10) |
| General Habitats: | Marshes and swamps |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G2T1 |
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State Rank: |
S1 |
| State List: | CR |
| Fed List: | FE |
| Other Status: | SB_CalBG/RSABG |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 28 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 2 |
| Good (B) | 8 |
| Fair (C) | 4 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 7 |
| Unknown (U) | 7 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Contra Costa (CCA), Marin (MRN)*, Napa (NAP), Sacramento (SAC)*, Solano (SOL), Sonoma (SON)* | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Antioch North (3812117), Benicia (3812212), Cuttings Wharf (3812223), Denverton (3812128), Fairfield South (3812221), Honker Bay (3812118), Jersey Island (3812116)*, Mare Island (3812213), Petaluma River (3812225)*, Sears Point (3812224), Vine Hill (3812211) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 19 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 20 | 71 % | |
| Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime | 12 | 42% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 9 | 32% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 8 | 28% |
| Grazing | 7 | 25% |
| Erosion/runoff | 6 | 21% |
| Other | 6 | 21% |
| Development | 5 | 17% |
| Feral pigs | 4 | 14% |
| Vandalism/dumping/litter | 4 | 14% |
| Recreational use (non-ORV) | 3 | 10% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 2 | 7% |
| Surface water diversion | 2 | 7% |
| Agriculture | 2 | 7% |
| ORV activity | 2 | 7% |
| Biocides | 2 | 7% |
| Channelization | 1 | 3% |
| Disking | 1 | 3% |
| Military operations | 1 | 3% |
| Pollution | 1 | 3% |
Notes
| Threatened by non-native plants, erosion, feral pigs, trampling, foot traffic, urbanization, and marsh drainage. See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 7:327-402 (1867) for original description, and Madroño 25(2):107 (1978) for rediscovery in NAP Co. |
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Threats: |
| Threatened by non-native plants, erosion, feral pigs, trampling, and marsh drainage. |
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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 5 November 2025].