Taxon Report

Dichondra occidentalis House

western dichondra

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Dichondra occidentalis, commonly known as western dichondra, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Convolvulaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 50 to 500 meters. Dichondra occidentalis is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Dichondra occidentalis House
Common Name:
 western dichondra
Family: Convolvulaceae
Element Code: PDCON08060
USDA Plants Symbol: DIOC2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: (Jan)Mar-Jul (Jan)Mar-Jul
Elevation: 50-500 (165-1640)
General Habitats: Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 4.2
Global Rank: G3G4
State Rank:
 S3S4
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status:
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:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX)?, Marin (MRN)?, Orange (ORA), San Diego (SDG), Santa Barbara (SBA), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Bolinas (3712286), Boucher Hill (3311638), Canada Gobernadora (3311755), Casmalia (3412075), Dana Point (3311746), Del Mar (3211782), Dulzura (3211667), Encinitas (3311713), Escondido (3311711), Guadalupe (3412085), Imperial Beach (3211751), Jamul Mountains (3211668), La Jolla (3211772), La Mesa (3211771), Laguna Beach (3311757), Las Pulgas Canyon (3311734), Mesa Grande (3311627), Morro Hill (3311733), National City (3211761), Oceanside (3311724), Orcutt (3412074), Otay Mesa (3211658), Otay Mountain (3211657), Palomar Observatory (3311637), Point Arguello (3412056), Point Loma (3211762), Point Mugu (3411911), Point Sal (3412086), Poway (3211781), Rancho Santa Fe (3311712), Rodriquez Mtn. (3311628), San Clemente (3311745), San Juan Capistrano (3311756), San Luis Rey (3311723), San Marcos (3311722), San Miguel Island East (3312083), San Miguel Island West (3312084), San Onofre Bluff (3311735), San Pasqual (3311618), Santa Catalina East (3311833), Santa Catalina North (3311844), Santa Catalina South (3311834), Santa Catalina West (3311845), Santa Cruz Island A (3311987), Santa Cruz Island B (3311986), Santa Rosa Island East (3311988), Santa Rosa Island North (3312081), Santa Rosa Island South (3312071), Santa Rosa Island West (3312082), Surf (3412065), Topanga (3411815), Tranquillon Mtn. (3412055), Triunfo Pass (3411818), Venice (3311884)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

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

Notes
Records for MRN Co. are questionable; report from LAX Co. needs confirmation. Possibly threatened by development. See Muhlenbergia 1:130-131 (1906) for original description.
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 9 May 2025].