Cordylanthus tenuis subsp. capillaris

Pennell's bird's-beak, Pennell's Bird's-Beak

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2 · Endangered

Pennell's bird's-beak is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in southwestern North Coast Ranges near Occidental in Sonoma County, growing in serpentine chaparral at approximately 200 meters elevation. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces delicate flowers with pale thin corollas 14 to 16 millimeters long. Growing with slender, nearly hairless stems, it develops thread-like leaves that are generally folded, creating a distinctively sparse and delicate appearance. Its leaves are extremely narrow, almost hair-like, giving the plant a subtle and intricate texture. The flower clusters are loosely arranged with one to four blossoms, featuring outer bracts that are three-lobed and thread-like, with inner bract tips typically covered in fine, soft hairs.

Habitat: Serpentine in chaparral

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: +- 200 m.

Bioregions: sw NCoRO (near Occidental, Sonoma Co.).

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