Taxon Report

Monardella sinuata Elvin & A.C. Sanders ssp. nigrescens Elvin & A.C. Sanders

northern curly-leaved monardella

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Monardella sinuata ssp. nigrescens, commonly known as northern curly-leaved monardella, is a annual herb in the Lamiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral (SCR Co.), Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest (SCR Co., and ponderosa pine sandhills), growing at elevations from 0 to 300 meters. Monardella sinuata ssp. nigrescens is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Monardella sinuata Elvin & A.C. Sanders ssp. nigrescens Elvin & A.C. Sanders
Common Name:	northern curly-leaved monardella
Family:	Lamiaceae
Element Code:	PDLAM18162
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: (Apr)May-Jul(Aug-Sep)	(Apr)May-Jul(Aug-Sep)
Elevation:	0-300 (0-985)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G3T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:	added to 1B.2 on 2013-12-31

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	25
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	7
Fair (C)	5
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	12

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Marin (MRN), Monterey (MNT), San Francisco (SFO), Santa Cruz (SCR)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Drakes Bay (3812218), Felton (3712211), Laurel (3712118), Marina (3612167), Monterey (3612158), San Francisco South (3712264)*, Seaside (3612157), Tomales (3812228)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	14	56 %
Non-native plant impacts	10	40%
Grazing	7	28%
Foot traffic/trampling	2	8%
Development	1	4%
ORV activity	1	4%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	4%

Notes



Threatened by non-native plants. Possibly threatened by development, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and climate shifts. Previously included in M. undulata. Similar to M. breweri and M. douglasii. See Novon 19(3):315-345 (2009) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Addition on 2013-12-31

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 1 November 2025].