Taxon Report

Hackelia brevicula (Jeps.) Gentry

Poison Canyon stickseed

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Hackelia brevicula, commonly known as Poison Canyon stickseed, is a perennial herb in the Boraginaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Broadleafed upland forest, Great Basin scrub, and Subalpine coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 2600 to 3200 meters. Hackelia brevicula is ranked 3.3, Plants About Which We Need More Information, A Review List; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Hackelia brevicula (Jeps.) Gentry
Common Name:	Poison Canyon stickseed
Family:	Boraginaceae
Element Code:	PDBOR0G040
USDA Plants Symbol:	HABR4
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Aug	Jul-Aug
Elevation:	2600-3200 (8530-10500)
General Habitats:	Broadleafed upland forest, Great Basin scrub, Subalpine coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Openings, Rocky (often)
Microhabitat Details:	Dry creek bottoms

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	3.3
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	8
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	8

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Blanco Mtn. (3711842), Chalfant Valley (3711853), Crooked Creek (3711841), Mt. Barcroft (3711852), Station Peak (3711851)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	13 %
Grazing	1	12%

Notes



Move to CRPR 1B? Known from fewer than ten occurrences in the White Mtns. Need field surveys. Does plant occur in NV? Similar to H. floribunda. See Southwestern Naturalist 19(2):139-146 (1974) for revised nomenclature, and Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 26(1):205-206 (1976) for taxonomic treatment.
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 1 November 2025].