Eryngium montereyense
Fort ord button-celery
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Eryngium montereyense (Fort ord button-celery) is a native California perennial in the Apiaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Fort ord button-celery is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in central California coastal areas in vernal pools and seasonally wet swales at elevations around 140 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small white flowers in compact heads 9 to 12 millimeters wide with delicate lance-ovate sepals. Growing with slender decumbent branches 10 to 15 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive glabrous appearance with an elegant form. Its basal leaves are linear and can reach up to 16 centimeters long, featuring pinnate structures with short linear to lanceolate lobes, while cauline leaves are shorter and coarsely serrate. The tiny fruit is 1.5 to 3 millimeters long, with unequal scales that add subtle texture to this delicate vernal pool species.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pools, seasonally wet swales
Elevation: 140 m
Bloom period
Eryngium montereyense blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
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 montereyense native to California?
Yes. Eryngium montereyense is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eryngium montereyense bloom?
Eryngium montereyense blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Eryngium montereyense belong to?
Eryngium montereyense is in the Apiaceae family, genus Eryngium.
Is Eryngium montereyense rare or endangered?
Eryngium montereyense carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
What habitat does Eryngium montereyense grow in?
Eryngium montereyense grows in Vernal pools, seasonally wet swales.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.