Cymopterus panamintensis var. acutifolius

Panamint indian parsnip

Family: Apiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Panamint indian parsnip is a California native perennial found in the Mojave Desert on rocky canyon walls at elevations of 700 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces white to cream flowers in small umbels characteristic of desert parsnip species. Growing with slender, flexible stems emerging from a woody base, it develops delicate branching structures adapted to harsh desert environments. Its leaves feature widely spaced segments three to 20 millimeters long, which remain flexible and enable the plant to move with desert winds. The compact growth form and distinctive leaf structure allow this parsnip to survive in challenging rocky canyon habitats.

Habitat: Rocky canyon walls

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: 700-1000 m

Bioregions: DMoj.

California counties: Inyo, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside, San Benito, Alameda, Kern

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