Taxon Report

Cordylanthus rigidus (Benth.) Jeps. ssp. brevibracteatus (Gray) Munz

short-bracted bird's-beak

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Cordylanthus rigidus ssp. brevibracteatus, commonly known as short-bracted bird's-beak, is a annual herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 610 to 2590 meters. Cordylanthus rigidus ssp. brevibracteatus is ranked 4.3, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Cordylanthus rigidus (Benth.) Jeps. ssp. brevibracteatus (Gray) Munz
Common Name:	short-bracted bird's-beak
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR0J0P3
USDA Plants Symbol:	CORIB
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb (hemiparasitic)
Blooming Period: Jul-Aug(Sep-Oct)	Jul-Aug(Sep-Oct)
Elevation:	610-2590 (2000-8500)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Granitic, Openings
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.3
Global Rank:	G5T3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


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

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Fresno (FRE), Kern (KRN), Madera (MAD), Mariposa (MPA), San Diego (SDG), Tulare (TUL), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Alpine (3211677), Alta Sierra (3511865), Apache Canyon (3411973), Auberry (3711914), Bass Lake (3711935), Cannell Peak (3511873), Cedar Grove (3611876), Chagoopa Falls (3611844), Crag Peak (3611812), Durrwood Creek (3611814), El Capitan (3711966), El Portal (3711967), Fairview (3511884), Giant Forest (3611857), Horse Canyon (3511851), Kern Lake (3611834), Kernville (3511874), Lake Isabella North (3511864), Lamont Peak (3511871), Mineral King (3611845), Miracle Hot Springs (3511855), Mt. Kaweah (3611854), Oiler Peak (3511835), Owens Peak (3511768), Piute Peak (3511844), Posey (3511876), Santiago Creek (3411983), Sentinel Peak (3611815), Silver City (3611846), Sirretta Peak (3511883), Tehachapi South (3511814), The Sphinx (3611875), Tobias Peak (3511875), Walker Pass (3511861), Wawona (3711956), Weldon (3511863), White Dome (3511872)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



See Botany of California 1:622 (1876) for original description, Aliso 4(1):98 (1958) for revised nomenclature, and Systematic Botany Monographs 10:46 (1986) for taxonomic treatment.
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 11 September 2025].