Dysphania anthelmintica
Wormseed, Wormseed
(c) mel letterman, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Chenopodiaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Dysphania anthelmintica (Wormseed) is a non-native California herb in the Chenopodiaceae family, recognized by leaf shape and tooth pattern.
Wormseed is a naturalized annual herb found in the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Clara Valley, and southern California coastal regions in disturbed areas and along riverbanks at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering from June to October, this plant produces small green flowers in dense axillary and terminal spikes. Growing with branching stems 37 to 75 centimeters tall, it has a spreading, open habit. Its leaves are lanceolate with wide, straight teeth, measuring 50 to 70 millimeters long and covered in dense glandular hairs. The tiny black seeds are bumpy and distinctive, with a smooth, glandular fruit wall that partially encloses each seed.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key feature is leaf shape and tooth pattern
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas, riverbanks
Elevation: < 1100 m
Outside California: to Canada, eastern United States, native to eastern United States
Bloom period
Dysphania anthelmintica blooms Jun-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Artemisia: Dysphania has sticky glandular hairs; Artemisia has fine silky or woolly hairs.; vs Amaranthus: Dysphania is sticky-glandular; Amaranthus is smooth with dense flower spikes.; vs Erigeron: Dysphania has tiny greenish clustered flowers; Erigeron has obvious ray flowers.; vs Baccharis: Dysphania is herbaceous annual; Baccharis is woody shrub.; vs Ambrosia: Dysphania has sticky leaves; Ambrosia has divided leaves without sticky glands.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dysphania anthelmintica native to California?
No. Dysphania anthelmintica is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Dysphania anthelmintica bloom?
Dysphania anthelmintica blooms Jun-Oct.
What plant family does Dysphania anthelmintica belong to?
Dysphania anthelmintica is in the Chenopodiaceae family, genus Dysphania.
What habitat does Dysphania anthelmintica grow in?
Dysphania anthelmintica grows in Disturbed areas, riverbanks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.