Ammoselinum giganteum
Desert sand-parsley
(c) Brian Finzel, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1
Ammoselinum giganteum (Desert sand-parsley) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by Monotypic genus known from very few locations; California occurrence based on single historical collection.
Desert sand-parsley is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native annual found in the southern desert regions of Riverside County at an elevation of 152 meters in heavy soil under shrubs. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces small white flowers in delicate umbels with 4 to 8 rays. Growing 10 to 20 centimeters tall with slender stems, it develops a compact, low-spreading form. Its leaves have distinctive obovate blades with 4 to 13 millimeter linear segments that are glabrous or slightly roughened. The fruit is a small 3 to 5 millimeter oblong-ovate structure with corky, sharply scabrous ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Monotypic genus known from very few locations; California occurrence based on single historical collection
Habitat and range
Habitat: Heavy soil under shrubs
Elevation: 152 m
California counties: Riverside
Outside California: Arizona, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Ammoselinum giganteum blooms Mar-Apr.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.1
How to tell it apart
vs Apiastrum: Ammoselinum has fuzzy flower clusters in deserts; Apiastrum is smooth in chaparral/coastal areas.; vs Torilis: Ammoselinum has oblong fruits with bristly ribs; Torilis has round fruits with prickles everywhere.; vs Spermolepis: Ammoselinum flower clusters are finely fuzzy; Spermolepis flower clusters are completely smooth.; vs Cyclospermum: Ammoselinum grows in deserts with bristly fruits; Cyclospermum in wet areas with smooth fruits.; vs Daucus: Ammoselinum has fuzzy clusters in deserts; Daucus has nest-like clusters in disturbed areas.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ammoselinum giganteum native to California?
Yes. Ammoselinum giganteum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ammoselinum giganteum bloom?
Ammoselinum giganteum blooms Mar-Apr.
Where in California does Ammoselinum giganteum grow?
Ammoselinum giganteum occurs in Riverside, at elevations of 152 m.
What plant family does Ammoselinum giganteum belong to?
Ammoselinum giganteum is in the Apiaceae family, genus Ammoselinum.
Is Ammoselinum giganteum rare or endangered?
Ammoselinum giganteum carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.1, state rank SH.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.