Cymopterus


Cymopterus is a genus of perennial plants in the family Apiaceae native to western North America. They are commonly known as the springparsleys. They are mostly stemless, taprooted perennial herbs with leaves at ground level and flowering scapes bearing yellow, white, or purple flowers.

Systematics

The taxonomy of this genus is confused even after many decades of study. Authors have organized it in different ways, sometimes including several closely related Apiaceae genera within it, as the delimitations of the genus and its relationship with others are unclear. It is very polyphyletic, and its limits are not well supported by evidence. Genera recently segregated from Cymopterus include Vesper, six plants with morphological characters that are well-defined and easily separated from Cymopterus; the group has been separated before, but was reintegrated during repeated reorganizations of the genus.
There are perhaps 35 to 50 species in the genus, but the count changes constantly.
Species include: