Acanthoscyphus parishii var. goodmaniana

Cushenbury oxytheca, Cushenbury oxytheca, Cushenbury oxytheca

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Cushenbury oxytheca is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in northern San Bernardino Mountains, specifically in areas like Greenlead Mine, Holcomb Valley, and Cushenbury Canyon in sandy habitats at elevations of 1,300 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from May to September, this delicate plant produces small white flowers with distinctive involucre awns about 2 to 3 millimeters long. Growing 5 to 30 centimeters tall with slender, branching stems, it forms compact clusters across its sandy habitat. Its leaves are relatively small, measuring 1 to 3 centimeters long, with sparse, fine branching that creates a subtle, intricate structure. The plant's involucre features four to five ivory-colored awns, giving it a distinctive texture and appearance in its arid desert environment.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: 1300-2300 m

Bioregions: n SnBr (Greenlead Mine, Holcomb Valley, Cushenbury Canyon).

California counties: San Bernardino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.