Taxon Report

Castilleja plagiotoma Gray

Mojave paintbrush

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Taxon Summary

Castilleja plagiotoma, commonly known as Mojave paintbrush, is a perennial herb (hemiparasitic) in the Orobanchaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Great Basin scrub (alluvial), Joshua tree "woodland", Lower montane coniferous forest, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 300 to 2500 meters. Castilleja plagiotoma is ranked 4.3, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Castilleja plagiotoma Gray
Common Name:	Mojave paintbrush
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Element Code:	PDSCR0D2J0
USDA Plants Symbol:	CAPL7
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb (hemiparasitic)
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	300-2500 (985-8205)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Joshua tree "woodland", Lower montane coniferous forest, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.3
Global Rank:	G4
State Rank:	S4
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


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

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Kern (KRN), Los Angeles (LAX), San Bernardino (SBD), San Luis Obispo (SLO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Acton (3411842), Apple Valley South (3411742), Baldy Mesa (3411744), Ballinger Canyon (3411984), Big Bear City (3411637), Butler Peak (3411731), Caliente Mtn. (3511917), Chilao Flat (3411831), Chimineas Ranch (3511928), Claraville (3511843), Cross Mountain (3511832), El Cajon (3211678), Elkhorn Hills (3511915), Fawnskin (3411638), Fifteenmile Valley (3411741), Hesperia (3411743), Juniper Hills (3411748), Lake Arrowhead (3411732), Lancaster West (3411862), Littlerock (3411758), Mescal Creek (3411746), Monolith (3511813), Mount San Antonio (3411736), New Cuyama (3411986), Pacifico Mountain (3411841), Phelan (3411745), Pinyon Mtn. (3511842), Silverwood Lake (3411733), Taylor Canyon (3511918), Telegraph Peak (3411735), Valyermo (3411747), Wells Ranch (3511916)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Threatened by recreational activities and road maintenance. Possibly threatened by wind energy development and vehicles.
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 4 February 2025].