Orthocarpus cuspidatus subsp. cuspidatus

Siskiyou mountains orthocarpus, Siskiyou Mountains Orthocarpus

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Siskiyou mountains orthocarpus is a native annual herb found in northwestern California and the California Cascades on open, grassy to rocky slopes at elevations of 700 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces distinctive yellow to white flowers with a prominent beak 7 to 8 millimeters long, extending well beyond the lower lip. Growing with generally stout stems, it reaches a moderate height typical of annual wildflowers in meadow and rocky habitats. Its leaves and overall form contribute to its delicate presence in grassland ecosystems, with flower pouches approximately 4 to 5 millimeters deep creating an intricate structural profile. The plant's robust corolla, measuring 16 to 25 millimeters, makes it a notable component of its high-elevation mountain environments.

Habitat: Open, grassy to rocky slopes

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 700-2200 m

Bioregions: NW, CaR

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