Rosy owl-clover (Orthocarpus bracteosus) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 9
Special Significance of the Species
The distribution of historic records suggests that Orthocarpus bracteosus remained in the Victoria-Puget Sound area as a relict of past, warmer periods. The British Columbia population of O. bracteosus is about 300 km disjunct from the northern extent of their main range in California, Oregon and southern Washington State. The Canadian population may represent a genetically distinct element important for the long-term survival and evolution of the species.