The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Photo is of parent taxon

seaside bird's beak

Photo is of parent taxon

stiffbranch bird's beak

Stems

downy to puberulent, hairs soft.

hispid.

Spikes

5–8-flowered;

proximal bracts 15–20 mm, equal to or longer than flowers, midlobes green or red distally, lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, apex acute to retuse.

5–13-flowered;

proximal bracts 10–20 mm, equal to or longer than flowers, midlobes dark purple distally, linear, 0.5–1 mm wide, apex retuse.

Flowers

corolla 15–20 mm.

corolla 13–17 mm.

Cordylanthus rigidus subsp. littoralis

Cordylanthus rigidus subsp. setigerus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Dunes. Chaparral, sagebrush scrub, openings in oak woodlands and conifer woodlands.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 200–2200 m. (700–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies littoralis grows only in the coastal dunes of the central coast in Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. It intergrades with subsp. rigidus. It is not known if this subspecies is genetically distinct or if its distinguishing features are caused by the unusual habitat where the plants grow.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 676. FNA vol. 17, p. 676.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Cordylanthus > Cordylanthus rigidus Orobanchaceae > Cordylanthus > Cordylanthus rigidus
Sibling taxa
C. rigidus subsp. brevibracteatus, C. rigidus subsp. rigidus, C. rigidus subsp. setigerus
C. rigidus subsp. brevibracteatus, C. rigidus subsp. littoralis, C. rigidus subsp. rigidus
Synonyms Adenostegia littoralis, C. littoralis, C. rigidus var. littoralis
Name authority (Ferris) T. I. Chuang & Heckard: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 10: 42. (1986) T. I. Chuang & Heckard: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 10: 43, figs. 3k, 4n,o, 7i, 10g, 18a–g. (1986)
Web links