Cymopterus ripleyi

Barneby

Ripley's Cymopterus

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.148154
Element CodePDAPI0U0X0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderApiales
FamilyApiaceae
GenusCymopterus
Other Common Names
Ripley's springparsley (EN) Ripley's Spring-parsley (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
There are two varieties based on flower color only. Neither Kartesz's 1999 synthesis nor Cronquist's Intermountain Flora (1997) recognizes the varieties. Roxanne Bittman concurs (1998), adding that California's Jepson Manual only recognizes the full species. FNA (vol. 13, 2024) recognizes two varieties of Cymopterus ripleyi.
Conservation Status
Review Date2002-10-09
Change Date2002-10-09
Edition Date2002-10-09
Edition AuthorsD. Gries, rev. R. Bittman (7/98), rev. L. Morse (2002)
Range Extent250-20,000 square km (about 100-8000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Cymopterus ripleyi is known from about 50 sites in southern Nevada, and also from fewer than six extant occurrences in Inyo County, California. Grazing is a threat to this taxon.
Range Extent Comments
Inyo County, California, and Nevada (Skinner, 1997). In southern Nevada, in Nye, Lincoln, and Esmeralda Counties (Kartesz, 1988).
Occurrences Comments
About 50 sites documented in Nevada, with additional suitable habitat unsearched. Known in California from six occurrences; three have been observed in the last twenty years (California Natural Diversity Database, May/1998 report).
Threat Impact Comments
Threatened by cattle grazing on Bureau of Land Management at Lee Flat (Skinner, 1997).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Joshua tree "woodland", Mohavean desert scrub; sandy, carbonate soils; 1000 to 1660 m (Skinner, 1997).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS3Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
QuinnHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest62,459
References (13)
  1. Bittman, R. 1998. Lead Botanist, California Natural Diversity Database. Unpublished notes on fifty rare plants of California for purposes of updating Element Global Ranking (EGR) forms. California Natural Heritage Division, Dep. of Fish & Game, Sacramento, California, U.S.A.
  2. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 2025. Greenlink West Transmission Project EIS. DOI-BLM-NV-0000-2022-0004-EIS. https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017391/510
  3. California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). 2025. RareFind Version 5.3.0. California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento.
  4. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2024. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 13. Magnoliophyta: Geraniaceae to Apiaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 566 pp.
  5. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  6. Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 pp.
  7. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  8. Kartesz, J.T. 1988. A flora of Nevada. Ph.D. dissertation. Univ. of Nevada, Reno. 3 volumes. 1729 pp.
  9. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  10. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  11. NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2024. Version: 1.1.1 (released Oct 01, 2024).
  12. Skinner, M.W., and B.M. Pavlik, eds. 1997 (1994). Inventory of rare and endangered vascular plants of California. 1997 Electronic Inventory Update of 1994 5th edition, California Native Plant Society, Special Publication No. 1, Sacramento.
  13. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).