Taxon Report

Eryngium montereyense D. W. Taylor & R. E. Preston

Fort Ord button-celery

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Eryngium montereyense, commonly known as Fort Ord button-celery, is a perennial herb in the Apiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Vernal pools, growing at elevations from 120 to 180 meters. Eryngium montereyense is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Eryngium montereyense D. W. Taylor & R. E. Preston
Common Name:	Fort Ord button-celery
Family:	Apiaceae
Element Code:	PDAPI0Z150
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Mar-May	Mar-May
Elevation:	120-180 (395-590)
General Habitats:	Vernal pools
Microhabitat:	Sandy, Vernally Mesic
Microhabitat Details:	Occurs in vernally moist swales and vernal pools in valley and foothill grassland surrounded by chaparral (maritime) and coast live oak woodland, on marine sedimentary substrate.

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S
CRPR Changes:	added to 1B.1 on 2023-03-15

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


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

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Monterey (MNT)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Marina (3612167), Salinas (3612166), Seaside (3612157)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes




Threats:
Threatened by military activities
Taxonomy:
Previously identified as E. armatum, an upland species; differs from E. armatum in having pinnately to bipinnately lobed leaves.

Selected References

Proposed addition to CRPR 1B.1, G1 / S1 (2023)

Phytoneuron 2022-45: 1–8 (2022)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 25 October 2025].