Taxon Report

Malacothrix saxatilis (Nutt.) T. & G. var. saxatilis

cliff malacothrix

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Malacothrix saxatilis var. saxatilis, commonly known as cliff malacothrix, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Asteraceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal bluff scrub, and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 3 to 200 meters. Malacothrix saxatilis var. saxatilis is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Malacothrix saxatilis (Nutt.) T. & G. var. saxatilis
Common Name:	cliff malacothrix
Family:	Asteraceae
Element Code:	PDAST660C5
USDA Plants Symbol:	MASAS
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Mar-Sep	Mar-Sep
Elevation:	3-200 (10-655)
General Habitats:	Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Global Rank:	G5T4
State Rank:	S4
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
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)
Orange (ORA), Santa Barbara (SBA)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Dana Point (3311746), Dos Pueblos Canyon (3411948), Laguna Beach (3311757), Lompoc Hills (3412054), Point Conception (3412044), San Juan Capistrano (3311756), Santa Barbara (3411946)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



See American Midland Naturalist 58(2):510 (1957) for taxonomic treatment. Threatened by development and exotic species.
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 5 December 2025].