Cordylanthus maritimus Benth. ssp. maritimus Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family) Native Salt Marsh Bird's Beak

                                           May Photo

Plant Characteristics: Branched annual with yellow roots; loosely and corymbosely much branched, often decumbent, the stems 2-4 dm. long; herbage pubescent, some of the hairs gland-tipped; lvs. and bracts glaucous-green, the former 0.5-2.5 cm. long, lance-oblong, the latter +/- oblong and the inner bract notched; calyx spathelike, enclosing proximal part of corolla, 15-22 mm. long, oblong-lanceolate, the terminal sharp teeth less than 0.5 mm. long; corolla shorter than calyx, purple on lower lobes and thin margin of galea, 15-20 mm. long, the galea finely pubescent dorsally, with wide purplish thin margin, the lower lip pilose-pubescent; stamens 4.    

Habitat:  Coastal Salt Marsh, L. Calif. to Ore.  Below 10 m.  May-Oct.

Name:  Greek, cordule, club and anthos, fl.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 800).  Latin, maritimus, of the sea.  (Jaeger 150).

General:   The species, while endangered in other marsh environments along the coast of California, is thriving in upper Newport bay.  The six or so colonies are increasing in size each year and two of these are newly established in the past few years.    Photographed on Northstar Beach and along Back Bay Dr. northerly of San Joaquin Hills Dr.  (my comments).       One of the native halophytes growing in Upper Newport Bay.  (Zedler 16). (See  Spartina foliosa  for the complete list).      Salt marsh bird's beak, Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. maritimus, was once a common plant of the upper marsh but it is now on the Federal Endangered Species List and has a ranking of 1B on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Vascular Plants of California.  It occurs in patches at Tijuana Estuary, Mugu Lagoon and Upper Newport Bay.  An annual, Salt marsh bird’s beak germinates best after seeds have had a cold treatment and is densest in or near open habitats.  It is a facultative parasite; its roots can draw resources from a number of potential hosts.  (Zedler 30)       Denudation of marsh vegetation by vehicle abuse is one of the most visible types of disturbance to marsh structure.  Areas of dense vegetation become completely eliminated wherever traffic persists.  Salt marsh bird's beak, Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. maritimus, most likely owes its endangered status to disturbance of this type.  (Zedler 37,38).      About 35 species of western North America.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 800).        Genetic DNA sequencing of only one to three genes has shown that traditional classifications of many genera within Scrophulariaceae may be incorrect.  The genus Cordylanthus has been moved to family Orobanchaceae.  (Olmstead, Richard G. “Whatever Happened to the Scrophulariaceae?”  FREMONTIA, A Journal of the California Native Plant Society  Vol. 30 No.2  April 2002  p. 13-22).    No changes will be made in the upper bay study at this time.  (my comment). 

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 1029; Munz, Calif. Flora 674; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 800; Roberts 38.

Photo Ref:  May 5 83 # 3,5; April-May 85 # 4; June-July 93 # 4.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by G. Marsh.

First Found:  May 1983.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 277.

No plant specimen.

Last edit 11/8/04.  

                                    June Photo                                                                                May Photo