Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus
Fresno county bird's-beak, Fresno County Bird's-Beak
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus (Fresno county bird's-beak) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family, recognized by bearded inner bracts diagnostic.
Fresno county bird's-beak is a rare (CNPS 4.3) California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains (Madera and Fresno counties) in open mixed forest at elevations of 1,300 to 2,400 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces delicate white to pale yellow flowers with distinctive bearded bracts in dense clusters. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, these stems are generally puberulent and long-hairy, sometimes appearing glandular. Its leaves are narrow and linear to slightly oblong, spreading along the stem in a sparse arrangement. The plant's inner flower bracts feature prominent opaque hairs longer than 2 millimeters, giving it a distinctive bearded appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; bearded inner bracts diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open mixed forest
Elevation: 1300-2400 m
Bloom period
Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus blooms Jul-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 tenuis subsp. barbatus native to California?
Yes. Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus bloom?
Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus blooms Jul-Aug.
What plant family does Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus belong to?
Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Cordylanthus.
Is Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus rare or endangered?
Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
What habitat does Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus grow in?
Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. barbatus grows in Open mixed forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.