Taxon Report

Heuchera rubescens Torr. var. versicolor (Greene) M.G. Stewart

San Diego County alumroot

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Taxon Summary

Heuchera rubescens var. versicolor, commonly known as San Diego County alumroot, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Saxifragaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, and Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1500 to 4000 meters. Heuchera rubescens var. versicolor is ranked 3.3, Plants About Which We Need More Information, A Review List; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Heuchera rubescens Torr. var. versicolor (Greene) M.G. Stewart
Common Name:	San Diego County alumroot
Family:	Saxifragaceae
Element Code:	PDSAX0E106
USDA Plants Symbol:	HERUV
Synonyms/Other Names:	Heuchera leptomeria Greene var. peninsularis Rosend., Butt. & Lak.

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: May-Jun	May-Jun
Elevation:	1500-4000 (4920-13125)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Rocky
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	3.3
Global Rank:	G5T4
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 3.3 on 2013-03-15

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	6
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	6

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Cuyamaca Peak (3211685), Hot Springs Mtn. (3311635), Palomar Observatory (3311637)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


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

Notes



Previously on List 2.3. Difficult to differentiate from typical H. rubescens based on habitat, elevation, and geography; needs further study. A synonym of H. rubescens in TJM 2. See Leaflets of Botanical Observation and Criticism 1:112 (1905) for original description, and Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 33(1):47 (1934) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Deletion on 2013-03-15

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 7 December 2025].