Cordylanthus nevinii
Nevin's bird's beak
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cordylanthus nevinii (Nevin's bird's beak) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family, recognized by white flowers with yellow tips and cream bracts diagnostic.
Nevin's bird's beak is a California native annual found in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in dry, open Jeffrey-pine and oak forests at elevations of 1,400 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces white flowers with yellow tips and purple-veined pouches, typically one or two in loose clusters. Growing 20 to 80 centimeters tall with a distinctive gray-green appearance tinged with red-purple, it has densely glandular stems covered in soft, long hairs. Its leaves are narrow and linear, ranging from 5 to 30 millimeters long with occasional small lobes. The plant's cream-colored outer bracts are three-lobed with wider tips, adding to its delicate and intricate botanical structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; white flowers with yellow tips and cream bracts diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, open Jeffrey-pine/oak forest
Elevation: 1400-2600 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, Kern, San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara
Outside California: western Arizona, northern Baja California
Bloom period
Cordylanthus nevinii blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Dicranostegia: Cordylanthus has flowers in short dense spikes under 2cm; Dicranostegia has flowers scattered singly along stem.; vs Castilleja: Cordylanthus has closed hood with rolled lower lip; Castilleja has open beak without rolled lip.; vs Dittrichia: Cordylanthus has tubular two-lipped flowers; Dittrichia has yellow daisy flowers with many ray petals.; vs Chloropyron: Cordylanthus has palmately divided leaves; Chloropyron has succulent undivided leaves in salt marsh habitat.; vs Deinandra: Cordylanthus has tubular two-lipped flowers; Deinandra has yellow daisy flowers with notched ray petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cordylanthus nevinii native to California?
Yes. Cordylanthus nevinii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cordylanthus nevinii bloom?
Cordylanthus nevinii blooms Jul-Sep.
Where in California does Cordylanthus nevinii grow?
Cordylanthus nevinii occurs in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Riverside, Kern, San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara, at elevations of 1400-2600 m.
What plant family does Cordylanthus nevinii belong to?
Cordylanthus nevinii is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Cordylanthus.
What habitat does Cordylanthus nevinii grow in?
Cordylanthus nevinii grows in Dry, open Jeffrey-pine/oak forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.