Chloropyron molle subsp. hispidum

Hispid salty bird's-beak, Hispid Salty Bird's-Beak

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Hispid salty bird's-beak is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in the Great Valley in saline marshes and flats at elevations below 130 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces delicate white to pale yellow flowers with a distinctive pouched corolla. Growing with multiple branches spreading from near the base, it develops bristly stems typically 15 to 25 centimeters tall. Its leaves and stems are notably bristly, with branches emerging in a widespread pattern across the plant's compact form. The small seeds measure 1 to 1.5 millimeters long, contributing to its distinctive adaptation to saline habitats.

Habitat: Saline marshes and flats

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: < 130 m

Bioregions: GV.

California counties: Solano, Merced, Kern, Placer

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