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Home/Species/ Orcutt's Brodiaea

Brodiaea orcuttii

(Greene) Baker

Orcutt's Brodiaea

G2Imperiled Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
HighThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.129441
Element CodePMLIL0C0B0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderAsparagales
FamilyAsparagaceae
GenusBrodiaea
Other Common Names
Orcutt's brodiaea (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-06-11
Change Date2013-08-07
Edition Date2025-06-11
Edition AuthorsRussell, C. (1991), rev. G. Davis (2012), rev. R. Bittman (2013), rev. Johnson, J. (2025)
Threat ImpactHigh
Range Extent5000-20,000 square km (about 2000-8000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Brodiaea orcuttii, commonly known as Orcutt's brodiaea, is a perennial bulbiferous herb that is found only in southern California, United States, and northern Baja California, Mexico. While a large part of the species' habitat has been lost to development, many remaining occurrences are protected. Occurrences that are protected within parks and other recreational areas may be impacted by recreational uses. Urban occurrences tend to be small and isolated from other occurrences and natural habitats.
Range Extent Comments
Brodiaea orcuttii is found only in southwestern California, United States, and northwestern Baja California, Mexico (FNA 2002, GBIF 2025). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, Calflora observations, and photo-based observations collected between 1994 and 2025 (Calflora 2025, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, Calflora observations, and photo-based observations collected between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are 50 occurrences rangewide (Calflora 2025, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025). However, there could be as many as 62 occurrences using a separation distance of ¼ mile, which is the distance used by the California Natural Diversity Database to separate populations (CNPS 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
While much of the species' habitat has been lost to development, most remaining occurrences in urban areas are protected in various parks and reserves, protected vernal pool habitat, or they grow in rocky ravines, where development is very unlikely (Scheidt pers. comm. 2025). Plants within these protected areas may be subject to recreational impacts, including trampling, dog waste, and picking flowers. Occurrences within military reserves are protected from development and recreational use but may be impacted by military training activities. This species relies on specific patterns of seasonal moisture so changes to the prevailing weather patterns associated with climate change may impact occurrences in marginal habitats.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

B. orcuttii is distinguished by paler flowers (rose-violet) as compared to fellow species in the genus (Wiggins, 1980). Flowers 6-8 mm long; staminodes lacking (Munz, 1959).

Habitat

Brodiaea orcuttii grows in grasslands near streams, vernal pools, and seeps, in chaparral, closed cone coniferous forests, and cismontane woodlands (FNA 2002, CNPS 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - ConiferShrubland/chaparral
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOL
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Extreme or 71-100% pop. declineModerate (short-term)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineModerate (short-term)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineModerate (short-term)
5 - Biological resource useRestricted (11-30%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.2 - Gathering terrestrial plantsRestricted (11-30%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
6.2 - War, civil unrest & military exercisesSmall (1-10%)Serious - moderateModerate (short-term)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherRestricted (11-30%)Serious - moderateModerate (short-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationRestricted (11-30%)Serious - moderateModerate (short-term)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (5)
California (5)
AreaForestAcres
Barker ValleyCleveland National Forest11,940
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
Eagle PeakCleveland National Forest6,481
No NameCleveland National Forest4,897
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
References (13)
  1. Abrams, L. 1940. Illustrated flora of the Pacific states: Washington, Oregon, and California. Vol. 1. Ophioglossaceae to Aristolochiaceae. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, California. 538 pp.
  2. CalFlora. 2025. Information on California plants for education, research and conservation. Berkeley, California: The CalFlora Database [web application]. Available: http://www.calflora.org/. (Accessed 2025).
  3. California Native Plant Society (CNPS), Rare Plant Program. 2025. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California, online edition, v9.5. Online. Available: https://www.rareplants.cnps.org (accessed 2025).
  4. California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). 2025. RareFind Version 5.3.0. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento.
  5. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  6. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  7. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  8. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  9. Munz, P.A., with D.D. Keck. 1959. A California flora. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 1681 pp.
  10. Scheidt, Vince. 2025. Personal communication via email.
  11. Skinner, M.W., and B.M. Pavlik, eds. 1997 (1994). Inventory of rare and endangered vascular plants of California. 1997 Electronic Inventory Update of 1994 5th edition, California Native Plant Society, Special Publication No. 1, Sacramento.
  12. Smith, J.P., and K. Berg. 1988. California native plant society's inventory of rare and endangered vascular plants of California. 4th edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento. 168 pp.
  13. Wiggins, I.L. 1980. Flora of Baja California. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, California. 1025 pp.