Purplenerve Springparsley (Cymopterus multinervatus)

Family Apiaceae

On March 24, 2010, Nancy Ferguson, Tom Orum, and Elaine Nakash encountered this plant near the Red Tank, east of Sierra Blanca Canyon Wash. "Cymopterus multinervatus is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name purplenerve springparsley. It is a perennial herb native to the southwestern United States, including the desert regions. It is stemless, producing leaves and inflorescence at ground level from a taproot. The leaves are erect on petioles of a few centimeters in length, with a fleshy blade dissected into waxy multilobed leaflets. The inflorescence arises on a stout purple or greenish peduncle up to about 14 centimeters tall. At the top is a rounded cluster of purple flowers sheathed in purple-veined bracts." [This text is copied from a Wikipedia source. See this link and click on "Photo Gallery" for more images: Cymopterus multinervatus.]

Wikipedia lists 9 species in the genus Cymopterus, all of which are commonly known as "Spring Parsleys". A quick look at their geographical distribution suggests a center in the California-Nevada portions of the Mohave Desert.

..