Cymopterus deserticola

Desert cymopterus

Family: Apiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Desert cymopterus is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in western Mojave Desert in sandy desert environments at elevations of 700 to 1,500 meters. Flowering in April, this plant produces purple flowers with distinctive ternate to 2-pinnately dissected leaves. Growing to approximately 15 centimeters tall with no visible stem, it has a compact, glabrous form. Its leaves feature a long petiole 4 to 10 centimeters long, with a blade 2 to 6.5 centimeters wide, divided into lanceolate segments 1 to 4 centimeters long with acuminate tips. The fruit is 5 to 7 millimeters long, with unequal ribs and marginal wings narrower than the fruit body.

Habitat: Sandy desert

Bloom period: Apr

Elevation: 700-1500 m

Bioregions: w DMoj.

California counties: Kern, San Bernardino

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.