Lomatium engelmannii
Engelmann's lomatium, Engelmann's Lomatium
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Lomatium engelmannii (Engelmann's lomatium) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by . Key features: purple flowers, no bractlets, petioles sheathing throughout.
Engelmann's lomatium is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges in Siskiyou and Trinity counties, growing on serpentine slopes in conifer forest at elevations of 1,150 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces purple flowers in compound umbels with 2 to 12 rays spreading across 1 to 13 centimeters. Growing with a slender taproot and reaching 10 to 30 centimeters tall, the plant is glabrous to sparsely hairy. Its leaves are intricately dissected, with finely divided segments 1 to 15 millimeters long, forming delicate ternate to pinnate blades 2.5 to 20 centimeters in length. The fruit is an oblong-ovate structure 7 to 14 millimeters long, with wings extending about half the body width.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species. Key features: purple flowers, no bractlets, petioles sheathing throughout
Habitat and range
Habitat: Serpentine slopes in conifer forest
Elevation: 1150-2300 m
California counties: Mendocino, Siskiyou, Trinity
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Lomatium engelmannii blooms Jun-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
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 engelmannii native to California?
Yes. Lomatium engelmannii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lomatium engelmannii bloom?
Lomatium engelmannii blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Lomatium engelmannii grow?
Lomatium engelmannii occurs in Mendocino, Siskiyou, Trinity, at elevations of 1150-2300 m.
What plant family does Lomatium engelmannii belong to?
Lomatium engelmannii is in the Apiaceae family, genus Lomatium.
Is Lomatium engelmannii rare or endangered?
Lomatium engelmannii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · 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.