Acanthoscyphus parishii var. parishii

Parish's oxytheca, Parish's oxytheca, Parish's oxytheca

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Parish's oxytheca is a rare (CNPS 4.2) California native annual found in the Transverse Ranges in sandy habitats at elevations of 1,900 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from June to October, this plant produces delicate white flowers with distinctive ivory-colored awns in involucres. Growing 10 to 60 centimeters tall with an erect habit, it develops slender stems with finely divided branches. Its leaves range from 1 to 7 centimeters long, with intricate branching and involucral bracts featuring 13 to 30 awns measuring 4 to 5 millimeters in length. The plant's compact growth and specialized sand habitat make it a unique component of its high-elevation desert ecosystem.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: Jun-Oct

Elevation: 1900-2600 m

Bioregions: TR.

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura

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