Cordylanthus eremicus subsp. kernensis

Kern plateau bird's-beak, Kern Plateau Bird's-Beak

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Kern plateau bird's-beak is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, specifically in Kern, Inyo, and Tulare counties, within open Jeffrey-pine and juniper forests at elevations of 2,100 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this delicate plant produces pale pink flowers with bristly outer bracts and acute tips. Growing with slender stems, it reaches a modest height typical of annual wildflowers. Its leaves and overall structure are adapted to the high-elevation, open forest environments of the Kern Plateau. The seeds are smooth between their distinctive net-like patterns, reflecting the plant's specialized desert mountain ecology.

Habitat: Open Jeffrey-pine or juniper forest

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 2100-3000 m

Bioregions: s SNH (Kern Plateau, Inyo, Kern, Tulare cos.).

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