Taxon Report

Dudleya cymosa (Lem.) Britt. & Rose ssp. marcescens Moran

marcescent dudleya

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Dudleya cymosa ssp. marcescens, commonly known as marcescent dudleya, is a perennial herb in the Crassulaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, growing at elevations from 150 to 520 meters. Dudleya cymosa ssp. marcescens is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Dudleya cymosa (Lem.) Britt. & Rose ssp. marcescens Moran
Common Name:	marcescent dudleya
Family:	Crassulaceae
Element Code:	PDCRA040A3
USDA Plants Symbol:	DUCYM
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul	Apr-Jul
Elevation:	150-520 (490-1705)
General Habitats:	Chaparral
Microhabitat:	Rocky, Volcanic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G5T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	CR
Fed List:	FT
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	14
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	7
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	5

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Los Angeles (LAX), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Malibu Beach (3411816), Newbury Park (3411828), Point Dume (3411817), Triunfo Pass (3411818)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	7
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	8	57 %
Recreational use (non-ORV)	5	35%
Foot traffic/trampling	4	28%
Non-native plant impacts	2	14%
Development	2	14%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	7%
Over-collecting/poaching	1	7%
Improper burning regime	1	7%

Notes



Known from fewer than 10 occurrences in the Santa Monica Mtns. Threatened by development and foot traffic. See Madroño 14(3):106 (1957) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 October 2025].