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Castilleja gleasoni

Elmer

Mt. Gleason paintbrush

G2Imperiled Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
HighThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.139954
Element CodePDSCR0D140
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderScrophulariales
FamilyOrobanchaceae
GenusCastilleja
Synonyms
Castilleja gleasoniiElmer
Concept Reference
Baldwin, B. G., D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. Rosatti, and D. H. Wilken, eds. 2012. The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California. 2nd edition. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1568 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
The taxonomic concept here follows Flora North America vol. 17 (2019) that recognizes Castilleja gleasoni distinct from C. pruinosa.

The name is often spelled 'gleasonii' but is derived from a place (Mt. Gleason) not a person, so it should be spelled 'gleasoni'; Kartesz (1999) uses the single 'i' in his synonymy.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2016-05-27
Change Date1999-12-06
Edition Date2016-05-27
Edition AuthorsGries, D. (1997), rev. B. MacBryde (2000), rev. Treher and Bittman (2016)
Threat ImpactHigh
Range Extent250-1000 square km (about 100-400 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Castilleja gleasoni is known from fewer about 16 extant occurrences in the San Gabriel Mountains (5000-7100 feet), Los Angeles County, California. The proximity to camping, fuelwood cutting, and vehicle use are threats. Questionably distinct from C. pruinosa.
Range Extent Comments
California endemic in Los Angeles County (San Gabriel Mountains).
Threat Impact Comments
Threatened by proximity to campgrounds, fuel wood cutting activities, logging, improper fire regime, and off road vehicles.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

In open yellow pine forests, lower montane coniferous forest, pinyon-juniper woodland, montane chaparral or sagebrush, on granitic ledges, cliffs, and rocky slopes, at elevations of 900 - 2200 meters (Baldwin et al. 2012, FNA 2019). This habitat has been mapped primarily as Californian Xeric Chaparral (G257), and also as Central & Southern Californian Coastal Sage Scrub (G264), Californian Montane Conifer Forest & Woodland (G344), Californian Broadleaf Woodland & Savanna (G195), and Californian Mesic & Pre-montane Chaparral (G261) at the group level of the US National Vegetation Classification (NatureServe 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
1.3 - Tourism & recreation areasSmall (1-10%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useRestricted (11-30%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingRestricted (11-30%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
California (2)
AreaForestAcres
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
West ForkAngeles National Forest1,169
References (8)
  1. Baldwin, B. G., D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. Rosatti, and D. H. Wilken, eds. 2012. The Jepson manual: vascular plants of California. 2nd edition. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1568 pp.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2019. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 17: Magnoliophyta: Tetrachondraceae to Orobanchaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 737 pp.
  3. Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 pp.
  4. 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.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  6. Munz, P.A. 1974. A flora of southern California. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 1086 pp.
  7. NatureServe. 2025. Ecosystems of the Conterminous US and Adjacent Areas, Version 1.0. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Online. Available: https://natureserve.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=66c13612635d4ee9bd4d6500cf462e7f (Accessed 2025).
  8. 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.