Cordylanthus rigidus subsp. setiger

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: annual · Native

Rigid bird's beak is a California native annual found in southern coastal ranges and southwestern California in open coastal-sage scrub, chaparral, oak woodland, and conifer forest at elevations below 2,200 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces flowers with distinctive purple-based bristly bracts surrounding delicate blooms 13 to 17 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems that develop intricate branched inflorescences up to 30 millimeters wide, it forms complex flower clusters with 5 to 13 individual blossoms. Its bracts are particularly notable, with lower sections densely covered in long bristles and a middle lobe that is linear with a wider, notched, thickened maroon tip. The plant's intricate floral structure makes it a fascinating example of the complex adaptations found in California's annual wildflowers.

Habitat: Open coastal-sage scrub, chaparral, oak woodland, conifer forest

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: < 2200 m

Bioregions: SCoRO, SW

California counties: San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, Monterey, San Benito

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