Indian Knob Mountainbalm / Center For Plant Conservation
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Plant Profile

Indian Knob Mountainbalm (Eriodictyon altissimum)

Photo Credit: John Chesnut
  • Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
  • Legal Status: Federally Endangered
  • Family: Hydrophyllaceae
  • State: CA
  • Nature Serve ID: 153142
  • Lifeform: Shrub
  • Date Inducted in National Collection: 01/17/2019
Description:

Eriodictyon altissimum is a rare species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Indian Knob mountainbalm. This is a shrub growing erect to a maximum height near 4 meters. It has shreddy bark on its larger branches and stems and a sticky exudate on its smaller twigs. The very narrow, linear leaves are up to 9 centimeters long, white-hairy on the undersides and hairless and sticky on top. The inflorescence is a curled cluster of bell-shaped lavender flowers each just over a centimeter long and blooms from March through June. The fruit is a small capsule containing many tiny seeds. [Jepson] [Calscape]

Where is Indian Knob Mountainbalm (Eriodictyon altissimum) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Eriodictyon altissimum grows in scrub, oak woodland, and chaparral habitat on sandstone soils. [CNPS]  

Distribution:

Eriodictyon altissimum is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it is known from only about six occurrences in the Irish Hills on the coast and nearby Indian Knob. [CNPS]

States & Provinces:

Indian Knob Mountainbalm can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Indian Knob Mountainbalm (Eriodictyon altissimum)?

  • California Botanic Garden

    Not Sponsored
    Conservation Actions
    Assigned 06/09/17

  • Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

    Not Sponsored
    Conservation Actions
    Assigned 06/13/17

  • University of California-Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

    Not Sponsored
    Assigned 01/17/19
    • CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

    Conservation Actions

    • 09/01/2020
      • Orthodox Seed Banking

    Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, California Botanic Garden holds 1 accessions of Eriodictyon altissimum in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 43 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

    • 08/05/2020
      • Seed Collection

    Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has collected 1 seed accessions of Eriodictyon altissimum from 1 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 8 maternal plants

    • 01/01/2010

    ca. 6 stands are known around Morro Baytotaling ca. < 600 individuals

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    Nomenclature
    Taxon Eriodictyon altissimum
    Authority P.V. Wells
    Family Hydrophyllaceae
    CPC Number 1677
    ITIS 31365
    USDA ERAL12
    Duration Perennial
    Common Names Indian Knob Mountain Balm | Indian Knob Yerba-santa
    Associated Scientific Names Eriodictyon altissimum
    Distribution Eriodictyon altissimum is endemic to San Luis Obispo County, California, where it is known from only about six occurrences in the Irish Hills on the coast and nearby Indian Knob. [CNPS]
    State Rank
    State State Rank
    California S1
    Ecological Relationships

    Photos

    Photo Credit: John Chesnut

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