Taxon Report

Chaenactis glabriuscula DC. var. orcuttiana (Greene) Hall

Orcutt's pincushion

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Chaenactis glabriuscula var. orcuttiana, commonly known as Orcutt's pincushion, is a annual herb in the Asteraceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Coastal bluff scrub (sandy), and Coastal dunes, growing at elevations from 0 to 100 meters. Chaenactis glabriuscula var. orcuttiana is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Chaenactis glabriuscula DC. var. orcuttiana (Greene) Hall
Common Name:	Orcutt's pincushion
Family:	Asteraceae
Element Code:	PDAST20095
USDA Plants Symbol:	CHGLO
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Jan-Aug	Jan-Aug
Elevation:	0-100 (0-330)
General Habitats:	Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal dunes
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G5T1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_CRES
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	36
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	6
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	9
Unknown (U)	20

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX), Orange (ORA)*, San Diego (SDG), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Bonsall (3311732), Dana Point (3311746), Del Mar (3211782), Encinitas (3311713), Fallbrook (3311743), Imperial Beach (3211751), Julian (3311615), La Jolla (3211772), Laguna Beach (3311757), Morro Hill (3311733), Oceanside (3311724), Point Loma (3211762), San Juan Capistrano (3311756)*, San Luis Rey (3311723), Temecula (3311742), Triunfo Pass (3411818), Venice (3311884), Ventura (3411933)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	7
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	20	56 %
Development	13	36%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	11	30%
Road/trail construction/maint.	8	22%
Non-native plant impacts	5	13%
Foot traffic/trampling	4	11%
Other	3	8%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	2%

Notes



Threatened by development, foot traffic and recreation. See Western American Scientist 3:157 (1887) for original description, and University of California Publications in Botany 3:192 (1907) for revised nomenclature.
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 25 October 2025].