Lomatium nudicaule
Barestem biscuitroot
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lomatium nudicaule (Barestem biscuitroot) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by swollen translucent peduncles and glaucous herbage.
Barestem biscuitroot is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Coast Ranges, high Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, San Francisco Bay Area, and Modoc Plateau in rocky pine woodlands at elevations of 180 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces yellow flowers occasionally tinged with purple, with umbels reaching up to 20 centimeters across. Growing 25 to 70 centimeters tall with a glaucous, nearly stemless appearance and a long, thickened taproot, it has a distinctive glabrous form. Its large, wide-ovate leaves are complex, featuring 1 to 2 ternate-pinnate divisions with 15 to 90 millimeter leaflets that can be entire, toothed, or lobed near the tips. The fruit is an oblong to elliptic structure 10 to 14 millimeters long with narrow wings and distinctive oil tubes along its ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 42 sympatric species; distinguished by swollen translucent peduncles and glaucous herbage
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky slopes, flats, generally pine woodland
Elevation: 180-2000 m
California counties: Modoc, Plumas, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Lassen, Siskiyou, Alameda, Sierra, Trinity, Shasta, Humboldt, Solano, Yuba, Sonoma, Napa, Butte, Del Norte, Sacramento, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho, Utah
Bloom period
Lomatium nudicaule blooms Apr-Jun.
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 nudicaule native to California?
Yes. Lomatium nudicaule is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lomatium nudicaule bloom?
Lomatium nudicaule blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Lomatium nudicaule grow?
Lomatium nudicaule occurs in Modoc, Plumas, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Lassen, Siskiyou, Alameda, Sierra and other counties, at elevations of 180-2000 m.
What plant family does Lomatium nudicaule belong to?
Lomatium nudicaule is in the Apiaceae family, genus Lomatium.
What habitat does Lomatium nudicaule grow in?
Lomatium nudicaule grows in Rocky slopes, flats, generally pine woodland.
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.