Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola
Coyote thistle
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola (Coyote thistle) is a native California perennial in the Apiaceae family, recognized by sepal tip orientation distinguishes from var. vaseyi.
Coyote thistle is a California native perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada foothills, southeastern Sacramento Valley, and northeastern San Joaquin Valley in vernal pool habitats at elevations of 10 to 335 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to bluish flower heads with distinctive erect sepal tips clustered in compact clusters. Growing with short, branched stems 1 to 5 centimeters tall emerging from a basal rosette, it forms compact, thistle-like clusters. Its leaves are clustered in a low rosette with narrow, potentially spiny margins characteristic of its thistle-like structure. The fruit features unequal, sharp-tipped scales in ovate or awl-like shapes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; sepal tip orientation distinguishes from var. vaseyi
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pools
Elevation: 10-335 m
Bloom period
Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola blooms May-Jul.
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 vaseyi var. vallicola native to California?
Yes. Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola bloom?
Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola belong to?
Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola is in the Apiaceae family, genus Eryngium.
What habitat does Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola grow in?
Eryngium vaseyi var. vallicola grows in Vernal pools.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eryngium vaseyi var. vaseyi — Coyote thistle
- Eryngium alismifolium — Alisma-leaved button-celery
- Eryngium aristulatum — California eryngo
- Eryngium aristulatum var. aristulatum — California eryngo
- Eryngium aristulatum var. hooveri — Hoover's button-celery
- Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii — San diego button-celery
- Foeniculum sp.
- Foeniculum vulgare — Fennel
- Glehnia littoralis subsp. leiocarpa — American glehnia
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.