Chloropyron maritimum subsp. maritimum

Salt marsh bird's-beak, Salt Marsh Bird's-Beak

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2 · Endangered

Salt marsh bird's-beak is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in southern Central Coast (Morro Bay) and Southern California coastal salt marshes at elevations below 10 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces delicate flowers in loose or dense inflorescences with inner bracts slightly notched. Growing with multiple branches that are decumbent to ascending, with distal branches generally longer than the central spike, it forms a complex and intricate growth pattern. Its stems are slender and flexible, allowing the plant to adapt to the dynamic salt marsh environment. The plant produces seeds that are approximately 2 millimeters long, typically 15 to 20 in number, reflecting its survival strategy in challenging coastal habitats.

Habitat: Coastal salt marsh

Bloom period: May-Oct

Elevation: < 10 m

Bioregions: s CCo (Morro Bay), SCo

California counties: Orange, Humboldt, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo

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