Taxon Report

Rhinotropis heterorhyncha (Barneby) J.R. Abbott

notch-beaked milkwort

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Rhinotropis heterorhyncha, commonly known as notch-beaked milkwort, is a perennial herb in the Polygalaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub, growing at elevations from 900 to 1600 meters. Rhinotropis heterorhyncha is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Rhinotropis heterorhyncha (Barneby) J.R. Abbott
Common Name:	notch-beaked milkwort
Family:	Polygalaceae
Element Code:	PDPGL02270
USDA Plants Symbol:	POHE7
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-May	Apr-May
Elevation:	900-1600 (2955-5250)
General Habitats:	Mojavean desert scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	3
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	3

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Chloride City (3611668), Daylight Pass (3611678), East of Chloride City (3611667)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Known in CA from three occurrences in the Funeral Mtns. On watch list in NV. See Leaflets of Western Botany 3:194 (1943) for original description, and Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 60:504-514 (1979) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Non-Substantive Name Changes: Multiple taxa in various plant families from the Jepson eFlora revision 11 (2023)

Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 5: 125 – 137. (2011)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 October 2025].