Desert Cymopterus,
Desert Spring Parsley

Color: Purple

Common name: Desert cymopterus, desert spring parsley

Latin name: Cymopterus deserticola

Family: APIACEAE

Height: 4-6 inches

Description: Stems without hairs hold tight ball-like clusters of purple flowers.

Leaf: Leaf stalk, connecting leaf to the stem 4–10 cm; blade 2–6.5 cm.

Range: w Mojave Desert

Habitat: Sandy desert

Elevation: ± 1500 m.

Flowering time: Apr

Notes: Photographed April 10, 2010, southwest of Harper Dry Lake, east of Kramer Junction, San Bernardino County, Calif. A dicot, is a perennial herb that is native to California and is endemic (limited) to California alone.

It is included in the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants on list 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA. Cymopterus deserticola is threatened by sheep grazing, urbanization and vehicles.

Recent attempts to locate desert cymopterus in areas of the historic Apple Valley herbarium collections have been unsuccessful and it appears likely that these sites may have been lost to urban development and off-highway vehicle (OHV) use (Moe, 1988). The entire known range of desert cymopterus occurs in the western Mojave Desert within the Western Mojave Planning Area with most of the populations found on Edwards Air Force Base.

Photos tips Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.

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