Eryngium pinnatisectum
Tuolumne button-celery
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Eryngium pinnatisectum (Tuolumne button-celery) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Tuolumne button-celery is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada Foothills in Sacramento, Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties, growing in vernal pools, swales, and intermittent streams at elevations of 70 to 950 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white flowers in spherical heads 1.5 to 2 centimeters wide, clustered in distinctive cymes. Growing 15 to 50 centimeters tall with an erect, stout stem that branches up to 32 centimeters above its basal rosette, it has a distinctive growth pattern. Its leaves are lanceolate, 10 to 30 centimeters long, sharply pinnately lobed with opposite white lobes and thickened margins. The plant produces narrow elliptic fruits 3 to 3.5 millimeters long, covered in dense, unequal lanceolate scales.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pools, swales, intermittent streams
Elevation: 70-950 m
California counties: Tulare, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, San Joaquin, Napa, Sacramento, Placer, Shasta, San Diego, Madera, Yuba, Merced, Lassen
Bloom period
Eryngium pinnatisectum blooms Jun-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
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 pinnatisectum native to California?
Yes. Eryngium pinnatisectum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eryngium pinnatisectum bloom?
Eryngium pinnatisectum blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Eryngium pinnatisectum grow?
Eryngium pinnatisectum occurs in Tulare, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, San Joaquin and other counties, at elevations of 70-950 m.
What plant family does Eryngium pinnatisectum belong to?
Eryngium pinnatisectum is in the Apiaceae family, genus Eryngium.
Is Eryngium pinnatisectum rare or endangered?
Eryngium pinnatisectum carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
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.