Desert Cymopterus,
Desert Spring Parsley
Cymopterus deserticola
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.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo 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.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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The Desert Environment
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