Taxon Report

Heterotheca monarchensis York, Shevock & Semple

Monarch golden-aster

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Heterotheca monarchensis, commonly known as Monarch golden-aster, is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Cismontane woodland, growing at elevations from 1095 to 1850 meters. Heterotheca monarchensis is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Heterotheca monarchensis York, Shevock & Semple
Common Name:	Monarch golden-aster
Family:	Asteraceae
Element Code:	PDAST4V0U0
USDA Plants Symbol:	HEMO14
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Oct	May-Oct
Elevation:	1095-1850 (3595-6070)
General Habitats:	Cismontane woodland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	USFS_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 1B.3 to 1B.1 on 2016-06-09

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	3
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
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)
Fresno (FRE)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Wren Peak (3611877)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	100 %
Non-native plant impacts	3	100%

Notes



Known from two occurrences in the Kings River Cyn. Threatened by non-native plants. Not in The Jepson Manual. See University of Waterloo Biology Series 37:52 (1996) for original description.
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 10 November 2025].