Taxon Report
Cirsium fontinale (Greene) Jeps. var. obispoense J.T. HowellChorro Creek bog thistle |
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Taxon Summary
Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense, commonly known as Chorro Creek bog thistle, is a perennial herb in the Asteraceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 35 to 385 meters. Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Cirsium fontinale (Greene) Jeps. var. obispoense J.T. Howell |
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Common Name: |
Chorro Creek bog thistle |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Element Code: | PDAST2E162 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | CIFOO |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial herb |
| Blooming Period: Feb-Jul(Aug-Sep) | Feb-Jul(Aug-Sep) |
| Elevation: | 35-385 (115-1265) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, Valley and foothill grassland |
| Microhabitat: | Seeps, Serpentine |
| Microhabitat Details: | Drainages |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G2T2 |
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State Rank: |
S2 |
| State List: | CE |
| Fed List: | FE |
| Other Status: | SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_SBBG |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 22 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 9 |
| Good (B) | 5 |
| Fair (C) | 3 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 1 |
| Unknown (U) | 4 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| San Luis Obispo (SLO) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Atascadero (3512046), Cambria (3512151), Lopez Mtn. (3512035), Morro Bay North (3512047), Morro Bay South (3512037), Pebblestone Shut-in (3512161), Pismo Beach (3512026), San Luis Obispo (3512036) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 13 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 19 | 86 % | |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 10 | 45% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 9 | 40% |
| Other | 8 | 36% |
| Grazing | 7 | 31% |
| Development | 5 | 22% |
| Erosion/runoff | 4 | 18% |
| Feral pigs | 2 | 9% |
| Agriculture | 2 | 9% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 2 | 9% |
| Surface water diversion | 2 | 9% |
| Biocides | 1 | 4% |
| Improper burning regime | 1 | 4% |
| Military operations | 1 | 4% |
Notes
| Threatened by grazing, development, and proposed water diversions. Possibly threatened by foot traffic, and non-native plants. See Leaflets of Western Botany 2:71 (1938) for original description, and Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 115(3):156-175 (2016) for status information. |
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Threats: |
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Taxonomy: |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 5 November 2025].