Taxon Report

Mirabilis coccinea (Torr.) Benth. & Hook.

red four o'clock

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Mirabilis coccinea, commonly known as red four o'clock, is a perennial herb in the Nyctaginaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1070 to 1800 meters. Mirabilis coccinea is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Mirabilis coccinea (Torr.) Benth. & Hook.
Common Name:
red four o'clock
Family: Nyctaginaceae
Element Code: PDNYC0A090
USDA Plants Symbol: MICO7
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jul May-Jul
Elevation: 1070-1800 (3510-5905)
General Habitats: Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank: 2B.3
Global Rank: G4G5
State Rank:
S2
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:
  • changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 31
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 1
   Good (B) 1
   Fair (C) 3
   Poor (D) 1
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 25
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Castle Peaks (3511532), Cima (3511525), Cima Dome (3511535), Crescent Peak (3511542), Hart Peak (3511531), Hayden (3511515), Ivanpah (3511533), Mescal Range (3511545), Mid Hills (3511524), Mineral Hill (3511544), Pinto Valley (3511523)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 7
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
8 26 %
ORV activity 7 22%
Mining 5 16%
Development 4 12%
Grazing 1 3%
Non-native animal impacts 1 3%
Non-native plant impacts 1 3%
Vandalism/dumping/litter 1 3%

Notes

See Botany of the U.S. and Mexican Boundary Survey, p. 169 (1859) by W. Emory for original description.
Threats:
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 February 2025].