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CEGL003727 Salvia mellifera Shrubland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Black Sage Shrubland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This shrubland association occurs on moderate to very steep southeast- and southwest-facing slopes at low elevations between 20 and 1050 m (65-3444 feet). It occurs in the interior of the Coast and Transverse ranges of central and southern California. In Riverside County, it apparently occurs in drier and more inland southern coastal areas with aspect tending to face more northeast than in the Santa Monica Mountains. Slopes are moderate to very steep; soils are clay or clay loam to sand or sandy loam. Stands are characterized by a strong dominance of Salvia mellifera in the shrub layer. A variety of other coastal sage and chaparral species frequently intermix in the shrub layer as subdominants. Some of these species include Artemisia californica, Ceanothus crassifolius, Adenostoma fasciculatum, Keckiella antirrhinoides, and Encelia farinosa. The understory herbaceous layer consists of native species, such as Leymus condensatus and Nassella lepida, and non-native species, such as Bromus madritensis and Centaurea melitensis.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: No Data Available

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Based on the description of this association from Riverside County (Klein and Evens 2006) and San Diego County (Evens and San 2006), we can add the following information: Salvia mellifera is usually dominant shrub in the overstory. Eriogonum fasciculatum is consistently present, usually as a subdominant shrub. A variety of other coastal sage and chaparral species frequently intermix in the shrub layer as subdominants. Some of these species include Artemisia californica, Ceanothus crassifolius, Adenostoma fasciculatum, Keckiella antirrhinoides, and Encelia farinosa. The understory herbaceous layer consists of native species, such as Leymus condensatus and Nassella lepida, and non-native species, such as Bromus madritensis and Centaurea melitensis.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  Information from Borchert et al. (2004), Klein and Evens (2006), and Evens and San (2006) suggests that the elevational range of this association extends upward to 1050 m in places like Riverside County, apparently in drier and more inland southern coastal areas with aspect tending to face more northeast than in the Santa Monica Mountains (Klein and Evens 2006). Slopes are moderate to very steep; soils are clay or clay loam to sand or sandy loams.
Geographic Range: This association is known from the Santa Monica Mountains and other portions of the western Transverse Ranges (Malanson 1984) and Coast Ranges of California from the central portion of the state at Pinnacles National Monument, in San Benito County (Evens and San 2004) south to at least the Mexican border. Stands sampled by Borchert et al. (2004) on Los Padres National Forest in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties can be placed in this association. This association has also been described from San Diego County and Orange County (Desimone and Burk 1992) and may occur as far north as Contra Costa County (Ertter and Bowerman 2002).

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA


Confidence Level: High

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass S18 2.B
Formation 2.B.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation F038 2.B.1
Division 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division D327 2.B.1.Na
Macrogroup 2.B.1.Na.2 Coastal Sagebrush - Black Sage - Coyotebrush Coastal Scrub Macrogroup M044 2.B.1.Na.2
Group 2.B.1.Na.2.b Coastal Sagebrush - Black Sage - White Sage Coastal Scrub Group G264 2.B.1.Na.2.b
Alliance A3883 Coastal Sagebrush - San Luis Purple Sage Mesic Scrub Alliance A3883 2.B.1.Na.2.b
Association CEGL003727 Black Sage Shrubland CEGL003727 2.B.1.Na.2.b
Concept Lineage: The provisional/placeholder CEGL003105 has been replaced with several new types: CEGL003727, CEGL003728, CEGL003730, and CEGL003732.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Salvia mellifera (Sawyer et al. 2009) [32.020.03]
= Salvia mellifera Alliance (Borchert et al. 2004)
= Salvia mellifera Association (Klein and Evens 2006)
= Salvia mellifera Association (Evens and San 2006)
= Salvia mellifera Shrubland Association (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
Concept Author(s): T. Keeler-Wolf and J. Evens (2006)

Author of Description: T. Keeler-Wolf, J. Evens, G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 09-24-07
  • Borchert, M., A. Lopez, C. Bauer, and T. Knowd. 2004. Field guide to coastal sage scrub and chaparral series of Los Padres National Forest. Report R5-TP-019. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco, CA.
  • Desimone, S. A., and J. H Burk. 1992. Local variation in floristics and distributional factors in California coastal sage scrub. Madroño 39:170-188.
  • Ertter, B., and M. L. Bowerman. 2002. The flowering plants and ferns of Mount Diablo, California. California Native Plant Society, Berkeley, CA.
  • Evens, J., A. Klein, J. Taylor, T. Keeler-Wolf, and D. Hickson, principal investigators. 2006. Vegetation classification, descriptions, and mapping of the Clear Creek Management Area, Joaquin Ridge, Monocline Ridge, and Environs in San Benito and western Fresno counties, California. Final report prepared by California Native Plant Society and California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA. 273 pp.
  • Evens, J., and S. San. 2004. Vegetation associations of a serpentine area: Coyote Ridge, Santa Clara County, California. Unpublished report. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA.
  • Evens, J., and S. San. 2006. Vegetation alliances of the San Dieguito River Park region, San Diego County, California. Final report (August 2005) Version 2 (revised May 2006). Prepared by California Native Plant Society in cooperation with the California Natural Heritage Program of the California Department of Fish and Game and San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Sacramento, CA. 271 pp.
  • Keeler-Wolf, T., and J. Evens. 2006. Vegetation classification of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and environs in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, California. A report submitted to National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area by California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch and The California Native Plant Society, Vegetation Program, Sacramento, CA.
  • Kittel, G., E. Reyes, J. Evens, J. Buck, and D. Johnson. 2012a. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Pinnacles National Monument. Natural Resource Report NPS/SFAN/NRR-2012/574. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 428 pp.
  • Klein, A., and J. Evens. 2006. Vegetation alliances of western Riverside County, California. Contract Number: P0185404. Final report prepared for The California Department of Fish and Game, Habitat Conservation Division. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. 332 pp. [http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/vegcamp/pdfs/VegMappingRpt_Western_Riverside.pdf]
  • Malanson, G. P. 1984. Fire history and patterns of Venturan subassociations of California coastal sage scrub. Vegetatio 57:121-128.
  • Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.