California Penstemon [Penstemon californicus (Munz & Jtn.) Keck]
Listing CNPS List 1B R-E-D Code 3-2-2
State/Federal. Status -- /C3c SCROPHULARIACEAE May-Jun.
Global Rank G3? State Rank S2.1
Distribution: Riverside County; Baja California
Habitat: This small subshrub is reported in chaparral and Lower Montane Coniferous Forest.
Known Sites: Herbarium specimens were examined from a site in Garner Valley 2 miles below Kenworthy, and a second locale near Aguanga, north of the San Diego County line. Munz reports California Penstemon from the Hemet Valley. Other reports from Riverside County are west of Sheep Mountain in the Santa Rosa Mountains, between Forbes Ranch Road and Lake Hemet, and west of Mountain Center. Data Base reports are from approximately 1 mile northwest of Kenworthy, at Kenworthy Station, 1.5 miles northwest of Kenworthy, on Quinn Flat in the Garner Valley, the desert divide near Pyramid Peak on the Pacific Crest Trail, 1.5 miles north of the west end of Horse Creek Ridge, east of Toro Peak in the Santa Rosa Mountains, at the south end of the Garner Valley east of the Palms to Pines Highway, northwest of the Kenworthy Station east of the Pines to Palms Highway in the Garner Valley, and between Quinn Flat and Goff Flat north of Morris Ranch Road in the eastern Garner Valley.
Status: This species is presumed stable in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains. All populations should be protected. Currently this species is disjunct from Baja California to Riverside County, bypassing San Diego County. Some potential habitat occurs in San Diego County in the Oak Grove region.
Copyright © May 1994 Craig H. Reiser.