Pedicularis rigginsiae

Arroyo de la cruz lousewort

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Arroyo de la cruz lousewort is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in maritime chaparral habitats. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces delicate pink to rose-purple flowers 13 to 23 millimeters long, with a distinctive downward-bent upper lip. Growing 6 to 30 centimeters tall with soft stems, it forms a compact herb with intricate growth. Its basal leaves are 5 to 14 centimeters long, featuring 28 to 38 densely packed narrow segments that are triangular to linear and intricately double-toothed. The small fruit measures 6 to 7 millimeters long, with seeds featuring a netted surface texture.

Habitat: Maritime chaparral

Bloom period: Feb-May

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