Taxon Report

Acanthoscyphus parishii (Parry) Small var. cienegensis (Ertter) Reveal

Cienega Seca oxytheca

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Acanthoscyphus parishii var. cienegensis, commonly known as Cienega Seca oxytheca, is a annual herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Joshua tree "woodland", Pinyon and juniper woodland, Upper montane coniferous forest (granitic, and sandy), growing at elevations from 2105 to 2450 meters. Acanthoscyphus parishii var. cienegensis is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Acanthoscyphus parishii (Parry) Small var. cienegensis (Ertter) Reveal
Common Name:	Cienega Seca oxytheca
Family:	Polygonaceae
Element Code:	PDPGN0J042
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Oxytheca parishii Parry var. cienegensis Ertter

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: (May)Jun-Sep	(May)Jun-Sep
Elevation:	2105-2450 (6905-8040)
General Habitats:	Joshua tree "woodland", Pinyon and juniper woodland, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.3
Global Rank:	G4?T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	23
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	3
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	18

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Moonridge (3411627), Onyx Peak (3411626), Rattlesnake Canyon (3411636)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	5	22 %
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	8%
Road/trail construction/maint.	2	8%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	4%
Mining	1	4%
Other	1	4%

Notes



See Brittonia 32: 70-102 (1980) for original description, Harvard Papers in Botany 9(1): 144 (2004) for revised nomenclature, and Phytologia 66(4): 386-387 (1989) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Possibly threatened by logging, mining, road maintenance, and vehicles.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2026. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 4 April 2026].