Taxon Report

Escobaria vivipara (Nutt.) Buxb. var. rosea (Clokey) D.R. Hunt

viviparous foxtail cactus

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Escobaria vivipara var. rosea, commonly known as viviparous foxtail cactus, is a perennial stem in the Cactaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1250 to 2700 meters. Escobaria vivipara var. rosea is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Escobaria vivipara (Nutt.) Buxb. var. rosea (Clokey) D.R. Hunt
Common Name:	viviparous foxtail cactus
Family:	Cactaceae
Element Code:	PDCAC0X0G8
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:	Coryphantha vivipara (Nutt.) Britt. & Rose var. rosea (Clokey) L. Benson

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial stem
Blooming Period: May-Jun	May-Jun
Elevation:	1250-2700 (4100-8860)
General Habitats:	Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Carbonate
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5T3
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	20
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	18

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Cima (3511525), Cima Dome (3511535), Clark Mtn. (3511555), Ivanpah (3511533), Joshua (3511534), Mescal Range (3511545), Mid Hills (3511524), Pachalka Spring (3511556), Pinto Valley (3511523), Valley Wells (3511546)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	3
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	2	10 %
Development	1	5%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	5%
Other	1	5%

Notes



Threatened by horticultural collecting. Possibly threatened by vehicles and recreation. A synonym of Escobaria vivipara var. rosea in The Jepson Manual. See Madroño 7(3):75 (1943) 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 16 November 2025].