Lomatium dasycarpum
Hog fennel
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lomatium dasycarpum (Hog fennel) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by Densely short-hairy to tomentose gray herbage; cismontane coast ranges/foothills/Great Valley.
Hog fennel is a California native perennial herb found in dry, open habitats across various California bioregions at moderate elevations. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces green-white or pale purple flowers in delicate umbrella-like clusters with 10 to 21 spreading rays. Growing with ascending to erect stems 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it develops a robust taproot and is generally covered in dense short hairs. Its finely dissected leaves are 2 to 12 centimeters long, with thread-like to linear segments 2 to 6 millimeters long, creating a delicate, lacy appearance. The fruit is distinctively winged, 8 to 22 millimeters long, with wings wider than the fruit body.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Densely short-hairy to tomentose gray herbage; cismontane coast ranges/foothills/Great Valley
Habitat and range
California counties: Orange, San Diego, Kern, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Trinity, Lake, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Colusa, Monterey, Marin, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Tehama, San Mateo, Stanislaus, Solano, San Benito, Siskiyou, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Glenn, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Yolo
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 dasycarpum native to California?
Yes. Lomatium dasycarpum is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Lomatium dasycarpum grow?
Lomatium dasycarpum occurs in Orange, San Diego, Kern, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and other counties.
What plant family does Lomatium dasycarpum belong to?
Lomatium dasycarpum is in the Apiaceae family, genus Lomatium.
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.