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RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS

ENDANGERED PLANTS ON CATALINA

Catalina Island is home to many threatened, endangered, or listed plant species. Some of these species are only listed at the state level, meaning they are only threatened/endangered/rare in California. Others are listed at the federal level. Species are also listed by the California Native Plant Society.

For more information on the federal plant rankings, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife webpage.

For more information on the state plant rankings, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage.

For more information on the CNPS plant rankings, visit the California Native Plant Society webpage.

Below is a list of our listed plant species. Their rankings follow.

Species Name

Federal

State

CNPS

Abronia maritima

4.2

Acmispon dendroideus var. dendroideus

4.2

Aphanisma blitoides

1B.2

Arctostaphylos catalinae (endemic)

1B.2

Atriplex coulteri

1B.2

Atriplex pacifica

1B.2

Atriplex serenana var. davidsonii

1B.2

Bergerocactus emoryi

2B.2

California macrophylla

1B.1

Calochortus catalinae

4.2

Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis

4.3

Centromadia parryi ssp. australis

1B.1

Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae

4.3

Cercocarpus traskiae (endemic)

Endangered

1B.1

Cistanthe maritima

4.2

Constancea nevinii

1B.3

Convolvulus simulans

4.2

Crossosoma californicum

1B.2

Cryptantha wigginsii

1B.2

Deinandra clementina

4.3

Dendromecon harfordii

3.1

Dichondra occidentalis

4.2

Dissanthelium californicum

1B.2

Dithyrea maritima

Threatened

1B.1

Dudleya greenei

4.2

Dudleya virens ssp. hassei (endemic)

1B.2

Dudleya virens ssp. insularis

1B.2

Eriogonum giganteum var. giganteum (endemic)

4.3

Eriogonum grande var. grande

4.2

Eschscholzia ramosa

4.3

Euphorbia misera

2B.2

Galium catalinense ssp. catalinense (endemic)

1B.2

Galium nuttallii ssp. insulare

4.3

Gambelia speciosa

1B.2

Gila nevinii

4.3

Harpagonella palmeria

4.2

Helianthemum greenei

Threatened

1B.2

Hesperocyparis macrocarpa

1B.2

Hesperocyparis stephensonii

1B.1

Hordeum intercedens

3.2

Isocoma menziesii var. decumbens

1B.2

Jepsonia malvifolia

4.2

Juglans californica

4.2

Juncus acutus ssp. leopoldii

4.2

Lepechinia fragrans

4.2

Lepidium virginicum ssp. menziesii

4.3

Lonicera subspicata var. subspicata

1B.2

Lycium brevipes var. hasseii

1B.1

Lycium californicum

4.2

Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. floribundus (endemic)

1B.2

Malva assurgentiflora

1B.1

Microseris douglasii ssp. platycarpha

4.2

Mimulus traskiae

Nemacaulis denudata var. denudata

1B.2

Ophioglossum californicum

4.2

Orobanche parishii ssp. brachyloba

4.2

Pentachaeta lyonii

Endangered

1B.1

Pinus radiata

1B.1

Pinus torreyana ssp. insularis

1B.2

Piperia cooperi

4.2

Quercus engelmannii

4.2

Quercus pacifica

4.2

Quercus tomentella

4.2

Rhamnus pirifolia

4.2

Ribes viburnifolium

1B.2

Romneya coulteri

4.2

Scrophularia villosa

1B.2

Senecio aphanactis

2B.2

Sibara filifolia

Endangered

1B.1

Solanum wallacei

1B.1

Suaeda taxifolia

4.2

Trifolium palmeri

4.2

Malva assurgentiflora, a listed plant species on Catalina Island. Photo by A. Aarhus.

Lepechinia fragrans, a listed plant species on Catalina Island. Photo by T. Dvorak.

CATALINA’S RARE PLANTS

Over 160 plants on Catalina Island are considered rare. The term “rare” is defined as any species that has 3 or less populations on the island. Not all of the rare plants on Catalina are rare on the mainland. Our unique habitats as well as the populations of introduced deer and bison create a very different environment than on the mainland and even other Channel Islands. This can cause species that are common on the mainland to be rare on Catalina.

Some of the noteworthy rare species are listed below:

Aphanisma (Aphanisma blitoides)
California dissanthelium (Dissanthelium californicum)
California groundsel (Senecio aphanactis)
Catalina Island monkeyflower (Mimulus traskiae)
Catalina Island mountain-mahogany (Cercocarpus traskiae)
Cliff spurge (Euphorbia misera)
Decumbent goldenbush (Isocoma menziesii var. decumbens)
Dunn’s lobelia (Lobelia dunnii var. serrata)
Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii)
Greene’s dudleya (Dudleya greenei)
Lyon’s pentachaeta (Pentachaeta lyonii)
Malva rosa (Malva assurgentiflora)
Red sand verbena (Abronia maritima)
Santa Barbara honeysuckle (Lonicera subspicata var. subspicata)
Seaside calandrinia (Cistanthe maritima)
Small-flowered morning-glory (Convolvulus simulans)
Thread-leaf rock cress (Sibara filifolia)
Woolly sea-blite (Suaeda taxifolia)

Lobelia dunnii var. serrata, a rare plant species on Catalina Island. Photo by S. Ratay.