Lomatium martindalei
Coast range lomatium, Coast Range Lomatium
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Lomatium martindalei (Coast range lomatium) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by glaucous fleshy herbage and obtuse leaflet segments.
Coast range lomatium is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges of Del Norte and Siskiyou counties in conifer forests, rocky meadows, and coastal bluffs at elevations of 240 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces yellow flowers that fade with age, clustered in umbels with 3 to 15 rays spreading up to 8 centimeters long. Growing 15 to 40 centimeters tall with a stout, swollen carrot-like taproot and glabrous to slightly scabrous herbage, it has a short stem or sometimes no visible stem. Its leaves are 2.5 to 15 centimeters long, oblong to obovate, with 1 to 2 pinnate divisions featuring crowded leaflet segments 0.8 to 3 centimeters long that are generally obtuse and dentate or irregularly lobed. The fruit is 8 to 15 millimeters long, oblong to diamond-shaped with narrow wings, containing distinctive oil tubes along the ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species; distinguished by glaucous fleshy herbage and obtuse leaflet segments
Habitat and range
Habitat: Conifer forest, rocks, meadows, talus, pumice, coastal bluffs
Elevation: 240-3000 m
California counties: Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Glenn
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Lomatium martindalei blooms May-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 martindalei native to California?
Yes. Lomatium martindalei is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lomatium martindalei bloom?
Lomatium martindalei blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Lomatium martindalei grow?
Lomatium martindalei occurs in Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Glenn, at elevations of 240-3000 m.
What plant family does Lomatium martindalei belong to?
Lomatium martindalei is in the Apiaceae family, genus Lomatium.
Is Lomatium martindalei rare or endangered?
Lomatium martindalei carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S2.
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.