Oreonana purpurascens
Purple mountain-parsley, Purple Mountain-Parsley
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Oreonana purpurascens (Purple mountain-parsley) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by peduncle length, umbel size, and purple sepals.
Purple mountain-parsley is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains on ridgetops in red-fir and lodgepole-pine forests at elevations of 2,375 to 2,860 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white flowers with purple calyx lobes and anthers in umbels 2.5 to 4.5 centimeters wide. Growing with slender stems 0.8 to 2.2 centimeters tall and covered in gray hairs, it develops spreading peduncles 12 to 18 centimeters long. Its leaves feature bladeless sheaths 3 to 6 centimeters long and petioles 4 to 7 centimeters long, with narrowly ovate blades 5 to 10 centimeters long containing small lanceolate segments 1 to 3 millimeters long. The fruit is 4 to 5 millimeters wide and ranges from nearly glabrous to slightly hairy.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by peduncle length, umbel size, and purple sepals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Ridgetops, generally on metamorphic rocks, in red-fir or lodgepole-pine forests
Elevation: 2375-2860 m
California counties: Tulare
Bloom period
Oreonana purpurascens blooms May-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
How to tell it apart
vs Lomatium: Oreonana is densely woolly gray; Lomatium is green with smoother foliage.; vs Conium: Oreonana forms rocky alpine cushions; Conium is a tall roadside weed.; vs Petroselinum: Oreonana is woolly alpine native; Petroselinum is smooth urban escape.; vs Osmorhiza: Oreonana is a tiny woolly cushion; Osmorhiza grows tall in woodland shade.; vs Tauschia: Oreonana is densely woolly; Tauschia has smoother green foliage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Oreonana purpurascens native to California?
Yes. Oreonana purpurascens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oreonana purpurascens bloom?
Oreonana purpurascens blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Oreonana purpurascens grow?
Oreonana purpurascens occurs in Tulare, at elevations of 2375-2860 m.
What plant family does Oreonana purpurascens belong to?
Oreonana purpurascens is in the Apiaceae family, genus Oreonana.
Is Oreonana purpurascens rare or endangered?
Oreonana purpurascens carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.