Sanicula crassicaulis
Gamble weed
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sanicula crassicaulis (Gamble weed) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by large stout habit (24-120 cm) and finely serrated broad lobes diagnostic.
Gamble weed is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, southern Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, central and southwestern coastal regions in open slopes, ravines, and woodland at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow flowers in small clustered heads with distinctive bisexual and staminate flowers. Growing robustly with stout stems 24 to 120 centimeters tall, it develops a strong taproot with an upright, substantial structure. Its leaves are generally palmate or palmate-ternate with three to five broadly obovate lobes, typically 3 to 12 centimeters wide, featuring finely sharp-serrated margins with teeth about 1 millimeter long. The fruit is small and round, 2 to 5 millimeters long, covered with stout, bulbous-based prickles that give the plant a distinctive textured appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; large stout habit (24-120 cm) and finely serrated broad lobes diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open slopes, ravines, woodland
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: Humboldt, Contra Costa, Calaveras, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Orange, Riverside, Sonoma, Butte, Ventura, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Tulare, San Mateo, Stanislaus, San Francisco, San Bernardino, Monterey, Lake, El Dorado, Placer, Kern, Mendocino, Amador, Marin, Sacramento, Tuolumne, Solano, Tehama, Napa, Shasta, Sutter, Merced, Colusa, Glenn, Madera, Del Norte, Mariposa, Alameda, Trinity, Siskiyou, Nevada, San Benito, Yolo, San Joaquin, Yuba
Outside California: to British Columbia, Baja California, southern South America
Bloom period
Sanicula crassicaulis blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Lomatium: Sanicula has dense round flower heads; Lomatium has flat-topped umbrella-shaped flower clusters.; vs Tauschia: Sanicula flowers are in tight round heads; Tauschia has open umbrella-shaped clusters.; vs Trifolium: Sanicula fruits are covered in hooked bristles; clover has smooth pods and distinctive three-part leaves.; vs Ranunculus: Sanicula has dense ball-like flower heads; buttercup has individual flowers on separate stalks.; vs Delphinium: Sanicula has round green flower heads; Delphinium has tall spikes of blue/purple spurred flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sanicula crassicaulis native to California?
Yes. Sanicula crassicaulis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sanicula crassicaulis bloom?
Sanicula crassicaulis blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Sanicula crassicaulis grow?
Sanicula crassicaulis occurs in Humboldt, Contra Costa, Calaveras, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Fresno and other counties, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Sanicula crassicaulis belong to?
Sanicula crassicaulis is in the Apiaceae family, genus Sanicula.
What habitat does Sanicula crassicaulis grow in?
Sanicula crassicaulis grows in Open slopes, ravines, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.