Taxon Report

Castilleja mollis Penn.

soft-leaved paintbrush

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Taxon Summary

Castilleja mollis, commonly known as soft-leaved paintbrush, is a perennial herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Coastal bluff scrub, and Coastal dunes, growing at elevations from 5 to 20 meters. Castilleja mollis is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Castilleja mollis Penn.
Common Name:	soft-leaved paintbrush
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR0D230
USDA Plants Symbol:	CAMO8
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb (hemiparasitic)
Blooming Period: Apr-Aug	Apr-Aug
Elevation:	5-20 (15-65)
General Habitats:	Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal dunes
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


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

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Santa Barbara (SBA)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
San Miguel Island West (3312084)?*, Santa Rosa Island East (3311988), Santa Rosa Island North (3312081), Santa Rosa Island West (3312082)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Known from Carrington Pt. Peninsula and west of Jaw Gulch (both SRO Isl.); also one unconfirmed location at Pt. Bennett (SMI Isl.), where not seen since 1938, despite recent surveys. Mainland plants previously included in C. mollis are C. affinis ssp. affinis. Threatened by cattle grazing and trampling, feral herbivores, and non-native plants. Likely parasitic on Isocoma menziesii var. sedoides. See Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia Vol. XCIX: 185-186 (1947) for original description and Madroño 38(2):141-142 (1991) for taxonomic reassessment.
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 6 November 2025].