Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum
Slender fruited lomatium
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum (Slender fruited lomatium) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by . Key feature: very narrow fruit wings and linear fruit shape.
Slender fruited lomatium is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northeastern California Mountains, and North Coast Ranges in sagebrush scrub and drying adobe slopes at elevations of 1,000 to 2,250 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces delicate yellow flowers in umbels with 4 to 15 rays, creating a soft, open cluster. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with a minimal stem or occasionally a short stem, it develops from a taproot that may occasionally produce deep-seated tubers. Its large leaves are widely obovate and ternate-pinnately dissected, with linear segments 1 to 3 centimeters long, creating a feathery, intricate foliage pattern. The fruit is a slender, glabrous linear to oblong structure 8 to 17 millimeters long with narrow wings less than half the body width.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 33 sympatric species. Key feature: very narrow fruit wings and linear fruit shape
Habitat and range
Habitat: Drying adobe, sagebrush scrub, slopes
Elevation: 1000-2250 m
California counties: Modoc, Lassen, Shasta, Siskiyou
Outside California: to Washington, Colorado, Arizona
Bloom period
Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum blooms Apr-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Tauschia: Lomatium fruits have prominent marginal wings; Tauschia fruits lack wings or have only slight ribs.; vs Sanicula: Lomatium has typical umbrella-shaped flower clusters; Sanicula has dense ball-like flower heads with hooked bristles.; vs Cymopterus: Lomatium grows upright with a stem; Cymopterus is stemless and grows flat to the ground.; vs Conium: Lomatium grows in dry natural habitats; Conium has purple-spotted stems and grows in moist disturbed areas.; vs Daucus: Lomatium fruits are flat with thin wings; Daucus fruits are cylindrical with spiny bristles.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum native to California?
Yes. Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum bloom?
Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum grow?
Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum occurs in Modoc, Lassen, Shasta, Siskiyou, at elevations of 1000-2250 m.
What plant family does Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum belong to?
Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum is in the Apiaceae family, genus Lomatium.
What habitat does Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum grow in?
Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum grows in Drying adobe, sagebrush scrub, slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.