Lomatium lucidum
Shiny biscuitroot
(c) Madeleine Claire, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Madeleine Claire · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lomatium lucidum (Shiny biscuitroot) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by . Key features: fleshy herbage, coarsely dentate leaflets, very wide fruit wings.
Shiny biscuitroot is a California native perennial found in southern California coastal areas, the San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardno Mountains, and San Jacinto Mountains in chaparral habitats, especially recently burned areas, at elevations of 450 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces distinctive yellow flowers in complex umbels with 10 to 20 rays spreading across 3 to 8 centimeters. Growing 15 to 120 centimeters tall with a slender taproot and glabrous green stems, it develops a short stem base that is not fibrous. Its leaves are broadly triangular-ovate, 4 to 12 centimeters wide, with 1 to 2 ternate divisions and leaflets that are oblong to obovate, typically 1.5 to 5 centimeters long and coarsely sharp-dentate with three-lobed margins. The fruit is wide-elliptic to round, 10 to 15 millimeters long with prominent wings that are significantly wider than the fruit body.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species. Key features: fleshy herbage, coarsely dentate leaflets, very wide fruit wings
Habitat and range
Habitat: Chaparral, especially on burns
Elevation: 450-1500 m
California counties: Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Mariposa, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Kern, Alpine
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Lomatium lucidum 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 lucidum native to California?
Yes. Lomatium lucidum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lomatium lucidum bloom?
Lomatium lucidum blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Lomatium lucidum grow?
Lomatium lucidum occurs in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Mariposa, Santa Barbara, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of 450-1500 m.
What plant family does Lomatium lucidum belong to?
Lomatium lucidum is in the Apiaceae family, genus Lomatium.
What habitat does Lomatium lucidum grow in?
Lomatium lucidum grows in Chaparral, especially on burns.
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.