Eryngium constancei
Loch lomond button-celery, Loch Lomond Button-Celery
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered
Eryngium constancei (Loch lomond button-celery) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by pubescence and peduncle length diagnostic.
Loch lomond button-celery is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in the northern Coast Ranges in Lake County's vernal pools at elevations around 800 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white flowers in small spheric heads 3 to 5 millimeters wide, clustered in delicate cymes. Growing with slender decumbent or ascending branches 20 to 30 centimeters tall, it emerges from a basal rosette with distinctively spiny stems. Its leaves feature slender petioles 8 to 12 centimeters long with smaller lanceolate blades 3 to 4 centimeters in length, characterized by spiny margins and sharp serrations. The fruit is a small obovate structure 1.6 to 2.2 millimeters long, covered with dense, unequal scabrous scales.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; pubescence and peduncle length diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pools
Elevation: +- 800 m.
Bloom period
Eryngium constancei blooms Apr-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered
How to tell it apart
vs Navarretia: Eryngium has compact button-like heads; Navarretia has looser clusters with spine-tipped bracts radiating outward.; vs Dipsacus: Eryngium flower heads are round or cylindrical when young; teasel heads are elongated egg-shaped from the start.; vs Cirsium: Eryngium leaves are firm and waxy; thistle leaves are softer with white woolly undersides.; vs Plantago: Eryngium grows in wetlands with spiny bracts under each flower; plantain has ribbed leaves and lacks spiny bracts.; vs Sanicula: Eryngium has a single bract under each flower and a thistle-like appearance; Sanicula lacks individual bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eryngium constancei native to California?
Yes. Eryngium constancei is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eryngium constancei bloom?
Eryngium constancei blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Eryngium constancei belong to?
Eryngium constancei is in the Apiaceae family, genus Eryngium.
Is Eryngium constancei rare or endangered?
Eryngium constancei carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
What habitat does Eryngium constancei grow in?
Eryngium constancei grows in Vernal pools.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.