Lomatium vaginatum

Broadsheath desertparsley

Family: Apiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Broadsheath desertparsley is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, and North Coast mountains in sagebrush, grassy slopes, and pine woodland at elevations of 600 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces yellow flowers in delicate umbels with 10 to 15 spreading rays. Growing 10 to 45 centimeters tall with a stout taproot and leafy stems, it features distinctive wide-sheathing petioles. Its leaves are ternate-pinnately dissected with crowded segments, each 1 to 5 millimeters long and oblong with obtuse tips, creating a fine, intricate foliage pattern. The fruit is 8 to 15 millimeters long, with wings wider than the body and distinctive oil tubes along its ribs.

Habitat: Sagebrush, grassy slopes, pine woodland

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 600-1900 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoR, MP

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