Cymopterus ripleyi

Ripley's cymopterus

Family: Apiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Ripley's cymopterus is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada, southern Sierra Nevada east side, and northern Desert Mountains in sandy soil at elevations of 1,000 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces purple to white flowers in delicate umbrella-like clusters. Growing with low, compact stems 10 to 15 centimeters tall and entirely glabrous, it forms a distinctive ground-hugging plant. Its leaves feature complex ternate blades about 2 to 5 centimeters wide, with wedge-shaped leaflets deeply divided into three-lobed sections that are further subdivided. The fruit is 6 to 7 millimeters long, wedge-shaped with unequal ribs and marginal wings.

Habitat: Sandy soil

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 1000-1600 m

Bioregions: s SNH, s SNE, n DMtns

California counties: Inyo

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