Cordylanthus ramosus
Bushy bird's beak
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cordylanthus ramosus (Bushy bird's beak) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family, recognized by dusty yellow flowers in spike-like clusters diagnostic.
Bushy bird's beak is a California native annual found in northern California Ranges, Great Basin, and Death Mountains in the Panamint Range, inhabiting rocky and alkaline soils in sagebrush scrub at elevations of 1,050 to 2,850 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces dusty yellow flowers often marked with maroon, clustered in spike-like groups of 3 to 7 flowers with distinctive outer bracts. Growing 10 to 90 centimeters tall with a gray-green or reddish-tinged appearance and a somewhat canescent texture, it develops an intricate branching structure. Its leaves are slender, 10 to 40 millimeters long, ranging from entire to 5-lobed and thread-like in form. The seeds are small, approximately 2 millimeters long, ovoid in shape with a deeply netted surface in light brown.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; dusty yellow flowers in spike-like clusters diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky to alkaline soils in sagebrush scrub
Elevation: 1050-2850 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Modoc, Lassen, Tulare
Outside California: to Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado
Bloom period
Cordylanthus ramosus blooms Jul-Aug.
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 ramosus native to California?
Yes. Cordylanthus ramosus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cordylanthus ramosus bloom?
Cordylanthus ramosus blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Cordylanthus ramosus grow?
Cordylanthus ramosus occurs in Mono, Inyo, Modoc, Lassen, Tulare, at elevations of 1050-2850 m.
What plant family does Cordylanthus ramosus belong to?
Cordylanthus ramosus is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Cordylanthus.
What habitat does Cordylanthus ramosus grow in?
Cordylanthus ramosus grows in Rocky to alkaline soils in sagebrush scrub.
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.