Gymnosperms of Alta California

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California has far more gymnosperms than any other state. The state is home to 65 conifer taxa plus 4 widespread hybrid taxa. These include the largest (Sequoiadendron giganteum), tallest (Sequoia sempervirens) and oldest (Pinus longaeva) known trees. California is the center of diversity for Hesperocyparis (10 taxa, 6 endemic). It has one of the rarest firs (Abies bracteata) and spruces (Picea breweriana). There are also a remarkable 26 taxa of pines, including the largest (Pinus lambertiana), the tallest (P. ponderosa), and two of the rarest (Pinus radiata and P. torreyana) species. The state is second only to New Caledonia in conifer endemism, having 18 endemic taxa (plus one endemic hybrid taxon). Several other species are found only in immediately adjacent parts of Oregon, Nevada or Baja California Norte. California also has 7 species of Ephedra, one of which is endemic to a mountain range that straddles the CA-NV border.

Species List

Names	California occurrence
CUPRESSACEAE, Cypress family
Callitropsis nootkatensis Nootka cypress	AK to CA: Reaches its southernmost range limit in the northern Klamath Mtns.
Calocedrus decurrens Incense-cedar	OR to BCN: Widespread in all major California mountain ranges.
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Port Orford cedar	OR and CA: Coast Range and Cascade Range N of about 40.7°N.
Hesperocyparis abramsiana Abrams' cypress	Endemic, rare: in the Coast Range N of Santa Cruz.
Hesperocyparis bakeri Modoc cypress	OR and CA: uncommon in Klamath Mtns., Cascade Range, Modoc Plateau.
Hesperocyparis forbesii Tecate cypress	CA and BCN: rare and local in Peninsular Ranges from Anaheim to Tecate.
Hesperocyparis goveniana Gowen cypress	Endemic, rare: Monterey Peninsula and Point Lobos.
Hesperocyparis macnabiana MacNab cypress	OR and CA: uncommon; widely scattered in Coast Range N of San Francisco Bay.
Hesperocyparis macrocarpa Monterey cypress	Endemic: Monterey Peninsula and Point Lobos. But, a popular ornamental worldwide.
Hesperocyparis nevadensis Piute cypress	Endemic: Extreme S Sierra Nevada; has been greatly reduced by 21st century fires.
Hesperocyparis pygmaea Mendocino cypress	Endemic: uncommon in Coast Range from about 38.8 to 39.5°N.
Hesperocyparis sargentii Sargent cypress	Endemic: uncommon in Coast Range from about 34.8 to 39.9°N.
Hesperocyparis stephensonii Cuyamaca cypress	CA and BCN: rare in southern Peninsular Ranges and just slightly into Mexico; has been greatly reduced by 21st century fires.
Juniperus californica California juniper	AZ, CA, NV, BCN: widespread, but mostly in the Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular ranges.
Juniperus communis Common juniper	Circumboreal: widespread in CA; plants are mostly var. saxatilis, which occurs across North America; in the N there are also a few reported locations for var. kelleyi.
Juniperus grandis Sierra juniper	CA and NV: nearly endemic to CA except for a few NV occurrences in the Tahoe area, otherwise found along the Cascade-Sierra Nevada ranges.
Juniperus jackii Siskiyou dwarf juniper	OR and CA: mostly in the Klamath Mountains.
Juniperus occidentalis Western juniper	WA, OR, ID, NV and CA. In CA, N of Red Bluff, from the dry side of the Klamath Mtns. to the NV border.
Juniperus osteosperma Utah juniper	Western states except WA and OR: In CA, the most common juniper in the Basin and Range.
Sequoia sempervirens Redwood	OR and CA: Klamath Mtns., Coast Range S to the Santa Lucia Mtns.
Sequoiadendron giganteum Big tree	Endemic: Sierra Nevada from 35.8 to 39.0°N.
Thuja plicata Western redcedar	BC to CA: maritime areas of the Coast Range, S to about 40.1°N.
EPHEDRACEAE, Jointfir family
Ephedra aspera Rough ephedra	TX to CA and N Mexico, widespread in desert areas.
Ephedra californica Desert tea	CA and BCN: Local in Mojave and Colorado deserts.
Ephedra fasciculata Arizona ephedra	CA, AZ, NV and UT: widespread in Basin and Range and Mojave Desert.
Ephedra funerea Death Valley ephedra	CA and NV, rare: endemic to the Funeral Mountains (Basin and Range).
Ephedra nevadensis Nevada ephedra	OR, CA, AZ, NV, and UT: widespread in Basin and Range and Mojave Desert.
Ephedra trifurca Longleaf ephedra	CA, AZ, NM, TX, and N Mexico: widespread in Basin and Range and Mojave Desert.
Ephedra viridis Green ephedra	OR, CA, AZ, NV, UT, WY, CO, NM: widespread in Basin and Range and Mojave Desert.
PINACEAE, Pine family
Abies amabilis Pacific silver fir	AK to CA: Reaches its southernmost range limit in northern Klamath Mtns.
Abies bracteata Bristlecone fir	Endemic to the Santa Lucia Mtns., central S Coast Range.
Abies concolor White fir	Widespread. Type subspecies present as hybrid with A. grandis in Klamath Mtns., and also from S end of Sierra Nevada into Baja. A. concolor ssp. lowiana, the California white fir, is in the Coast Range N of San Francisco Bay and throughout the Cascade-Sierra Nevada mountains.
Abies grandis Grand fir	BC to CA: Along coast N of about 38.4°N.
Abies lasiocarpa Subalpine fir	W North America: var. lasiocarpa is rare in the Klamath Mountains.
Abies magnifica California red fir	Endemic: throughout the Sierra Nevada. The hybrid with A. procera, A. x shastensis, is in the S Cascades and N Sierra. Var. critchfieldii is locally present in the S Sierra Nevada, thus endemic.
Picea breweriana Weeping spruce	OR and CA: the Klamath Mountains.
Picea engelmannii Engelmann spruce	W North America: rare in the Klamath Mtns. and Cascade Range.
Picea sitchensis Sitka spruce	AK to CA: coastal, N of 40.5°N except for a disjunct southernmost population in Mendocino County at 39.4°N.
Pinus albicaulis Whitebark pine	W North America: the Klamath Mtns., Cascade Range, and Warner Mtns., and in the Sierra Nevada S to about 36.5°N.
Pinus attenuata Knobcone pine	OR, CA, BCN: scattered through much of the state on mostly dry, frequently-burned sites.
Pinus balfouriana Foxtail pine	Endemic: the type subspecies is in the northern Coast Range and Klamath Mtns., and subsp. austrina is in the S Sierra Nevada at about 35.9 to 37.2°N.
Pinus contorta Lodgepole pine	W North America: subsp. contorta is coastal and grows N of about 38.9°N. Subsp. contorta var. bolanderi is endemic to the Mendocino coast at about 39.4°N. Subsp. murrayana, native to OR, CA and BCN, is common in the Klamath Mtns., Cascade Range, Warner Mtns., Sierra Nevada, and Transverse Ranges, with other scattered occurrences. The most widespread subsp. latifolia is absent.
Pinus californiarum California piñon	CA and BCN: Restricted to the Colorado Desert and adjacent areas.
Pinus coulteri Coulter pine	CA and BCN: Peninsular Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Coast Range N to Mt. Diablo (San Francisco Bay area).
Pinus edulis Common piñon	Widespread from CA to CO: in CA, only appears as the hybrid with P. californiarum, Pinus × kohae, mainly in the Mojave Desert.
Pinus flexilis Limber pine	W North America: the Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and a few of the highest ranges in the Basin and Range and Mojave Desert.
Pinus jeffreyi Jeffrey pine	OR, NV, CA, and BCN: mostly in the Klamath Mtns., Cascade Range, Warner Mtns., Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges.
Pinus quadrifolia Parry piñon	CA and BCN: Peninsular Ranges from Mt. San Jacinto S to the border.
Pinus lambertiana Sugar pine	OR, NV, CA and BCN: mostly in the Klamath Mtns., Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges.
Pinus longaeva Great Basin bristlecone pine	CA, NV, and UT: restricted to a few of the highest ranges in the Basin and Range.
Pinus monophylla Singleleaf piñon	ID, UT, NV, AZ and CA: In CA, mostly in the Transverse Ranges and the E foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and in the Basin and Range from the Panamint Mtns. northwards.
Pinus monticola Western white pine	W North America: in CA mostly in the Klamath Mtns., Cascade Range, Warner Mtns., and Sierra Nevada, at subalpine elevations.
Pinus muricata Bishop pine	CA and BCN: Along most of the coast N of 33.8°N, including the Channel Islands.
Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa pine	W North America: Subsp. ponderosa N of Tahoe and generally E of the Cascade-Sierra crest. Subsp. benthamiana in most ranges W of the Cascade-Sierra crest, the Sierras S of about 38°N, and in the Transverse Ranges. Subsp. washoensis is very local N of Lake Tahoe.
Pinus quadrifolia Parry piñon	CA and BCN: Peninsular Ranges from Mt. San Jacinto S to the border. Most of its range is in BCN.
Pinus radiata Monterey pine	CA and BCN: the type subsp. is endemic to the Monterey peninsula (the other subsp. is endemic to BCN). One of the most widely planted trees in the world.
Pinus sabiniana Gray pine	OR and CA: mostly its distribution rings the Great Valley at foothill elevations; locally widespread in the Coast Range.
Pinus torreyana Torrey pine	Endemic: type subspecies to a coastal area N of San Diego, and subsp. insularis to Santa Rosa Island.
Pseudotsuga macrocarpa Bigcone Douglas-fir	Endemic: Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges from about 34.9°N to almost the Mexican border.
Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas-fir	W North America: CA has subsp. menziesii in most mountain ranges N of about 35.7°N. Subsp. glauca is absent.
Tsuga heterophylla Western hemlock	AK to CA: coastal, N of 40.5°N except for a disjunct southernmost population in Mendocino County at 39.4°N.
Tsuga mertensiana Mountain hemlock	AK to CA: Subsp. grandicona in the southernmost Cascade Range (40.7°N) and the Sierra Nevada almost to Mt. Whitney. The Klamath Mtns. have populations in which the two subspecies are introgressed.
TAXACEAE, Yew family
Taxus brevifolia Pacific yew	AK to CA: in Coast Ranges, Klamath Mtns., Cascade Range, and Sierra Nevada N of about 39°N.
Torreya californica California nutmeg	Endemic: central Coast Range and most of the W Sierra Nevada, usually in foothill riparian areas.

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Species List