Taxon Report

Plagiobothrys parishii Jtn.

Parish's popcornflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Plagiobothrys parishii, commonly known as Parish's popcornflower, is a annual herb in the Boraginaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Joshua tree "woodland", growing at elevations from 750 to 1400 meters. Plagiobothrys parishii is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Plagiobothrys parishii Jtn.
Common Name:	Parish's popcornflower
Family:	Boraginaceae
Element Code:	PDBOR0V0U0
USDA Plants Symbol:	PLPA
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Mar-Jun(Nov)	Mar-Jun(Nov)
Elevation:	750-1400 (2460-4595)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Joshua tree "woodland"
Microhabitat:	Alkaline, Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	16
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	2
Unknown (U)	13

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Los Angeles (LAX)*, Mono (MNO), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Benton Hot Springs (3711875), Big Pine (3711823), Bishop (3711834), Chalfant Valley (3711853), Chidago Canyon (3711854), Fish Slough (3711844), Independence (3611872), Laws (3711843), Lone Pine (3611851), Lovejoy Buttes (3411757), Lucerne Valley (3411648), Manix (3411685), Olancha (3611831), Poleta Canyon (3711833), River Spring (3711885), Union Wash (3611861)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	19 %
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime	3	18%
Grazing	1	6%
Non-native plant impacts	1	6%
ORV activity	1	6%

Notes



Threatened by groundwater pumping. See Contributions from the Gray Herbarium 68:78 (1923) for original description, and Contributions from the Arnold Arboretum 3:54-55 (1932) 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 20 November 2025].