Taxon Report

Dendromecon harfordii Kell. var. rhamnoides (Greene) Munz

south island bush-poppy

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Dendromecon harfordii var. rhamnoides, commonly known as south island bush-poppy, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the Papaveraceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 150 to 520 meters. Dendromecon harfordii var. rhamnoides is ranked 3.1, Plants About Which We Need More Information, A Review List; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Dendromecon harfordii Kell. var. rhamnoides (Greene) Munz
Common Name:	south island bush-poppy
Family:	Papaveraceae
Element Code:	PDPAP08012
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Dendromecon rigida Benth. ssp. rhamnoides (Greene) Thorne

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial evergreen shrub
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	150-520 (490-1705)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	3.1
Global Rank:	G4T1Q
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 1B.1 to 3.1 on 2013-02-01

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)	2
Unknown (U)	5

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
San Clemente Island North (3211885), San Clemente Island South (3211873), Santa Catalina East (3311833), Santa Catalina North (3311844), Santa Catalina West (3311845)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	3
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	2	29 %
Non-native animal impacts	2	28%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	14%
Grazing	1	14%

Notes



Previously on List 1B.1. Taxonomic distinctiveness from D. harfordii is uncertain; needs further study. Rediscovered on San Clemente Island in 2021 where it had not been seen since 1966.
Threats:

Taxonomy:
A synonym of D. harfordii in TJM (1993) and TJM 2. USFWS uses the name D. rigida ssp. rhamnoides.

Selected References

CRPR List Deletion on 2013-02-01

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2026. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 17 March 2026].