Lomatium foeniculaceum
Desert biscuitroot
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lomatium foeniculaceum (Desert biscuitroot) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by Densely hairy/tomentose desert biscuitroot of the east-side deserts & Great Basin.
Desert biscuitroot is a California native perennial found in desert and montane regions at elevations of 100 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow to purple flowers in delicate umbels with 1 to 17 rays. Growing with taprooted stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it has a distinctively soft-hairy or tomentose appearance. Its finely dissected leaves are broadly oblong to obovate, with narrow linear segments 1 to 6 millimeters long, creating a delicate, lace-like foliage. The fruit is an oblong-ovate structure 4 to 12 millimeters long, typically hairy with wings approximately half the body width.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Densely hairy/tomentose desert biscuitroot of the east-side deserts & Great Basin
Habitat and range
California counties: Inyo
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 foeniculaceum native to California?
Yes. Lomatium foeniculaceum is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Lomatium foeniculaceum grow?
Lomatium foeniculaceum occurs in Inyo.
What plant family does Lomatium foeniculaceum belong to?
Lomatium foeniculaceum 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.