Taxon Report

Plagiobothrys salsus (Bdg.) Jtn.

desert popcornflower

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Plagiobothrys salsus, commonly known as desert popcornflower, is a annual herb in the Boraginaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Playas, growing at elevations from 700 to 700 meters. Plagiobothrys salsus is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Plagiobothrys salsus (Bdg.) Jtn.
Common Name:	desert popcornflower
Family:	Boraginaceae
Element Code:	PDBOR0V0X0
USDA Plants Symbol:	PLSA3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: May-Aug	May-Aug
Elevation:	700-700 (2295-2295)
General Habitats:	Playas
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G2G3
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

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)
Inyo (INY), Modoc (MOD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Bole Spring (3611633), Cedarville (4112052), Deep Springs Lake (3711831), Lake City (4112062), Leonards Hot Springs (4112051)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	20 %
Grazing	1	20%

Notes




Threats:
Endangered in OR, but more widespread in NV.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Botanical Gazette 27:452 (1899)

Plagiobothrys salsus profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2018)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 19 November 2025].