Lomatium vaginatum
Broadsheath desertparsley
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lomatium vaginatum (Broadsheath desertparsley) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by conspicuous flared leaf sheaths and crowded small leaf segments.
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.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 40 sympatric species; distinguished by conspicuous flared leaf sheaths and crowded small leaf segments
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sagebrush, grassy slopes, pine woodland
Elevation: 600-1900 m
Outside California: central Oregon, western Nevada
Bloom period
Lomatium vaginatum blooms Apr-May.
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 vaginatum native to California?
Yes. Lomatium vaginatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lomatium vaginatum bloom?
Lomatium vaginatum blooms Apr-May.
What plant family does Lomatium vaginatum belong to?
Lomatium vaginatum is in the Apiaceae family, genus Lomatium.
What habitat does Lomatium vaginatum grow in?
Lomatium vaginatum grows in Sagebrush, grassy slopes, pine woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Lomatium austiniae — Plummer's lomatium
- Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum — Slender fruited lomatium
- Lomatium californicum — California lomatium
- Lomatium canbyi — Canby's lomatium
- Lomatium caruifolium — Alkali desertparsley
- Lomatium caruifolium var. caruifolium — Alkali desertparsley
- Oenanthe sarmentosa — Pacific oenanthe
- Oenanthe sp.
- Oreonana clementis — Clemens' mountain parsley
- Oreonana purpurascens — Purple mountain-parsley
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.