Taxon Report

Nama demissa A. Gray var. covillei Brand

Coville's purple mat

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Taxon Summary

Nama demissa var. covillei, commonly known as Coville's purple mat, is a annual herb in the Namaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub, growing at elevations from -85 to 1800 meters. Nama demissa var. covillei is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Nama demissa A. Gray var. covillei Brand
Common Name:
 Coville's purple mat
Family: Namaceae
Element Code: PDHYD0A031
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: annual herb
Blooming Period: Feb-May Feb-May
Elevation: -85-1800 (-280-5905)
General Habitats: Mojavean desert scrub
Microhabitat: Dry, Flats, Roadsides (often), Sandy, Slopes
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 1B.3
Global Rank: G5T3
State Rank:
 S3
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: BLM_S
CRPR Changes:
  • added to 1B.3 on 2018-05-30

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 25
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 25

Location
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Avawatz Pass (3511654), Beatty Junction (3611658), Chloride City (3611668), Dantes View (3611626), Devils Golf Course (3611637), Dumont Dunes (3511662), Echo Canyon (3611646), Epaulet Peak (3511685), Furnace Creek (3611647), Gold Valley (3611616), Grotto Canyon (3611751), Ivanpah (3511533), Kingston Peak (3511568), Resting Spring (3511682), Ryan (3611636), Saddle Peak Hills (3511663), Scottys Castle (3711713), Shoshone (3511683), Sixmile Spring (3611621), Stewart Valley (3611622), Stovepipe Wells NE (3611761), Thimble Peak (3611771), Twelvemile Spring (3611612), Ubehebe Crater (3711714)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 0
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
0 %

 

Notes

Potentially threated by road construction and maintenance. Possibly threatened by erosion, which might be exacerbated by climate shifts. Often misidentified as var. demissa. Leaf attachment and shape are primary differentiating characters between varieties, but these traits can be variable and substrate might be a better indicator of differentiation; needs further study. See Das Pflanzenreich IV. 251(59): 159 (1913) for original description, and American Journal of Botany 20(8): 518-534 (1933) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Addition on 2018-05-30
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 January 2025].