Lomatium stebbinsii

Stebbins' lomatium, Stebbins' Lomatium

Family: Apiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Stebbins' lomatium is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada Mountains in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, inhabiting yellow-pine forest on gravelly volcanic soil at elevations of 1,250 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in delicate umbels with spreading rays. Growing low to the ground with a compact form, it reaches only 5 to 15 centimeters tall and features a small ovoid tuber beneath the surface. Its distinctive leaves are triangular-ovate, ternately divided into 2 to 12 millimeter linear leaflets with an acute tip, creating a fine, lacy green appearance. The small fruits are narrowly elliptic, measuring 6 to 9 millimeters long with minimal wing development.

Habitat: Yellow-pine forest on gravelly volcanic soil

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 1250-1700 m

Bioregions: n SNH/c SNH (Calaveras, Tuolumne cos.).

California counties: Tuolumne, Calaveras

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.