Hosta

Dudleya cymosa is a species complex of evergreen and deciduous succulent plants in the family Crassulaceae known by the common name: canyon liveforever.^[1]^[2] It is a loosely defined polyphyletic^[3] species with a diverse number of subspecies, varying highly in morphology, distribution, and habitat.^[4]

Description

It is a distinctive plant sending up erect red-orange stems from a gray-green basal rosette. The small yellowish-red thimble-shaped flowers top the stems in a cyme inflorescence. Some subspecies are considered threatened locally.

Subspecies

Recognized^[5] Dudleya cymosa subspecies:

Dudleya cymosa subsp. agourensis K.M. Nakai - (Agoura Hills dudleya)
Dudleya cymosa subsp. crebrifolia K.M. Nakai & Verity - (San Gabriel River dudleya)
Dudleya cymosa subsp. costatifolia Bartel & Shevock - (Pierpoint springs dudleya)
Dudleya cymosa subsp. cymosa (Lem.) Britton & Rose - (canyon liveforever)
Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens Moran - (Marcescent dudleya)
Dudleya cymosa. subsp. ovatifolia - (Santa Monica Mountains dudleya)
Dudleya cymosa subsp. paniculata (Jeps.) K.M. Nakai - (Diablo range dudleya)
Dudleya cymosa subsp. pumila (Rose) K.M. Nakai - (Transverse ranges liveforever)

The subspecies marcescens^[6] and ovatifolia^[7] are federally listed as threatened species of the United States.

Butterfly habitat

Dudleya cymosa is the larval host plant for the Sonoran blue butterfly, Philotes sonorensis (Lycaenidae)

Notes

^ New N. Amer. Crassul. 21. 1903 Sep
^ Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 3:21. 1903 Nov
^ Yost, J. M.; Bontrager, M.; McCabe, S. W.; Burton, D.; Simpson, M. G.; Kay, K. M.; Ritter, M. (2013). "Phylogenetic relationships and evolution in Dudleya (Crassulaceae)" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 38 (4): 1096–1104. doi:10.1600/036364413X674760. S2CID 15715233.
^ McCabe, Stephen Ward (26 September 2019). "Succulent Poaching, Conservation,and the Mainland Dudleyas". Youtube. CNPS Santa Clara Valley Chapter. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
^ "Dudleya cymosa". Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
^ USFWS. ssp. marcescens. Species Profile.
^ USFWS. ssp. ovatifolia. Species Profile.

References

Thomson, Paul H. (1993). Dudleya and Hasseanthus handbook. Bonsall, CA: Bonsall Publication. ISBN 978-0-9602066-5-0.
C.Michael Hogan, ed. 2010. Dudleya cymosa. Encyclopedia of Life.

External links

[1] New N. Amer. Crassul. 21. 1903 Sep

[2] Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 3:21. 1903 Nov

[:3-3] Yost, J. M.; Bontrager, M.; McCabe, S. W.; Burton, D.; Simpson, M. G.; Kay, K. M.; Ritter, M. (2013). "Phylogenetic relationships and evolution in Dudleya (Crassulaceae)" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 38 (4): 1096–1104. doi:10.1600/036364413X674760. S2CID 15715233.

[4] McCabe, Stephen Ward (26 September 2019). "Succulent Poaching, Conservation,and the Mainland Dudleyas". Youtube. CNPS Santa Clara Valley Chapter. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.

[5] "Dudleya cymosa". Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

[fwsm-6] USFWS. ssp. marcescens. Species Profile.

[fwso-7] USFWS. ssp. ovatifolia. Species Profile.

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