Taxon Report

Chenopodium littoreum Benet-Pierce & M.G. Simpson

coastal goosefoot

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Chenopodium littoreum, commonly known as coastal goosefoot, is a annual herb in the Chenopodiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal dunes, growing at elevations from 10 to 30 meters. Chenopodium littoreum is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Chenopodium littoreum Benet-Pierce & M.G. Simpson
Common Name:	coastal goosefoot
Family:	Chenopodiaceae
Element Code:	PDCHE091Z0
USDA Plants Symbol:	CHLI11
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Aug	Apr-Aug
Elevation:	10-30 (35-100)
General Habitats:	Coastal dunes
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:	added to 1B.2 on 2011-06-01

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	13
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	12

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX), San Luis Obispo (SLO), Santa Barbara (SBA)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Casmalia (3412075), Guadalupe (3412085), Morro Bay South (3512037), Oceano (3512015), Point Sal (3412086), Surf (3412065), Venice (3311884)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	6	46 %
Non-native plant impacts	6	46%

Notes



Possibly threatened by recreational activities, vehicles, and non-native plants. Previously identified as C. carnosulum var. patagonicum. See Madroño 57(1):64-72 (2010) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Addition on 2011-06-01

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 October 2025].