Lomatium hendersonii
Henderson's lomatium
(c) Mark Pollock, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Lomatium hendersonii (Henderson's lomatium) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by . Key features: white flowers, ovoid tuber, shiny green herbage.
Henderson's lomatium is a rare California native perennial ranked 2B.3 by CNPS, found in the Modoc Plateau in gravelly or rocky sagebrush flats at elevations of 1,400 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces white flowers in delicate umbrella-like clusters with spreading rays. Growing with a low-spreading habit, reaching 10 to 30 centimeters tall, the plant emerges from a small ovoid tuber with shiny green, glabrous herbage. Its finely divided leaves are triangular-ovate with multiple pinnate segments, featuring tiny linear to oblong leaflets just 2 to 5 millimeters long. The fruit is a small elliptic to ovate structure approximately 5 millimeters long with narrow wings less than half the body width.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species. Key features: white flowers, ovoid tuber, shiny green herbage
Habitat and range
Habitat: Gravelly or rocky soil, sagebrush flats
Elevation: 1400-2300 m
Outside California: Oregon, Idaho, Nevada
Bloom period
Lomatium hendersonii blooms Mar-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.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 hendersonii native to California?
Yes. Lomatium hendersonii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lomatium hendersonii bloom?
Lomatium hendersonii blooms Mar-Jun.
What plant family does Lomatium hendersonii belong to?
Lomatium hendersonii is in the Apiaceae family, genus Lomatium.
Is Lomatium hendersonii rare or endangered?
Lomatium hendersonii carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S2.
What habitat does Lomatium hendersonii grow in?
Lomatium hendersonii grows in Gravelly or rocky soil, sagebrush flats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.