Oreonana vestita
Woolly mountain-parsley
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3
Oreonana vestita (Woolly mountain-parsley) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family.
Woolly mountain-parsley is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the Southern Granitic Bedrock and Southern Broken Rivers bioregions on ridge tops at elevations of 1,670 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces yellow or maroon flowers in small hemispheric umbels nestled among its leaves. Growing with white-tomentose stems 4 to 15 centimeters tall, the plant forms a compact, low-growing cluster. Its leaves feature bladeless sheaths and delicate ovate to round blades with small oblong segments 3 to 10 millimeters long. The fruit is tomentose, measuring 5 to 6 millimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated with no sympatric congeners
Habitat and range
Habitat: Ridge tops
Elevation: 1670-3500 m
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern
Bloom period
Oreonana vestita blooms Mar-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.3
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 vestita native to California?
Yes. Oreonana vestita is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Oreonana vestita bloom?
Oreonana vestita blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Oreonana vestita grow?
Oreonana vestita occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern, at elevations of 1670-3500 m.
What plant family does Oreonana vestita belong to?
Oreonana vestita is in the Apiaceae family, genus Oreonana.
Is Oreonana vestita rare or endangered?
Oreonana vestita carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.3, 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.