West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

on the inaccessible mountain slopes above the foothills, washes, and lower canyons. Additionalpopulations also are likely to occur within the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Center.Regulatory Status: BLM Sensitive.Threats Affecting the Charlotte’s Phacelia: Most of the known populations are withingrazing allotments. Grazing is mentioned repeatedly in CNDDB records, but there appears to beno documentation of population declines in response to grazing. Other potential threats are offroadvehicles and wildflower collecting.3.3.8.5 Crucifixion ThornLife History: Crucifixion thorn is long-lived, thorny leafless shrub or small tree ofwashes and other sites where water accumulates. It is particularly characteristic of non-salinedry lakes. It is mostly restricted to outwash plains and reported not to occur on rocky slopes.Plants occur as scattered colonies of fairly small size that never extend far across the landscape.Fruits remain on the plant for long periods, up to several years, and may be distributed byvertebrate herbivores. The plants are dioecious, that is, male and female flowers occur onseparate plants.Population Status in the Planning Area: This species is disjunct from its primaryrange and is found in the sand fields and washes north and east of Pisgah Crater and southeast ofFort Irwin, where it forms a distinct community, termed crucifixion thorn woodland. Twopopulations are known in the western Mojave Desert, from the Pisgah area and 5 miles southeastof Fort Irwin. Three of the ten occurrences are on private land. Another site is located nearAmboy, just outside the planning area. A single plant was located near Newberry Springs duringthe 1999 tortoise surveys.Regulatory Status: No special status.Threats Affecting the Crucifixion Thorn: No significant human threats are known toexist. Some populations are, or were, somewhat impacted by OHV recreation, but the matureplants are large and stout enough that they are generally avoided. Seedlings could be damagedor destroyed by OHV activity.3.3.8.6 Desert CymopterusLife History: Desert cymopterus is a long-lived herbaceous perennial, which hasconspicuous purple flowers during early spring, but dies back completely aboveground in thesummer, fall and early winter. It survives drought by storage of food in its large taproot, and istermed a geophyte. Flowering and seed production appear to be episodic, with large numbers ofviable seed produced in wet years and little or no flowering and seed production in dry years.Desert cymopterus is generally found on sandy soil.Chapter 3 3-187