Lomatium nevadense
Nevada biscuitroot
(c) Joe Decruyenaere, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lomatium nevadense (Nevada biscuitroot) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family.
Nevada biscuitroot is a California native perennial found in desert and montane regions in rocky or open sites at elevations of 1,000 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in delicate umbels with 8 to 22 unequal rays. Growing 10 to 45 centimeters tall with a slender taproot that is occasionally swollen at the base, it forms a low, finely hairy plant with a grayish appearance. Its leaves are complex, with finely dissected blades 3.5 to 10 centimeters long, composed of narrow linear segments less than 3 millimeters wide that are densely packed and pointed. The fruit is 6 to 11 millimeters long, oblong to round, and can be densely hairy or nearly smooth.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species; geographically isolated but parent taxon exists
Habitat and range
California counties: San Bernardino, Modoc, Siskiyou, Tulare, Plumas, Alpine, Inyo, Mono, Lassen, Trinity, Los Angeles, Kern, Monterey, Sierra, El Dorado, Shasta, Placer, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Madera, Ventura
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 nevadense native to California?
Yes. Lomatium nevadense is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Lomatium nevadense grow?
Lomatium nevadense occurs in San Bernardino, Modoc, Siskiyou, Tulare, Plumas, Alpine, Inyo, Mono and other counties.
What plant family does Lomatium nevadense belong to?
Lomatium nevadense 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.