Sanicula saxatilis
Rock sanicle, Rock Sanicle
Family: Apiaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Rock sanicle is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in eastern San Francisco Bay area on Mount Diablo in Contra Costa County and Mount Hamilton in Santa Clara County, inhabiting rocky ridges, chaparral, and woodland at elevations of 900 to 1,100 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pale red-orange or yellow flowers in small clusters with distinctive compound umbels. Growing with stout stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall, it develops a spherical underground tuber 2 to 3.5 centimeters wide. Its compound leaves are ternate to pinnate, with triangular blades 3 to 9 centimeters long, featuring leaflets with finely serrated margins that may appear purple or glaucous. The fruit is small and ovate, 2.5 to 3 millimeters wide, with rounded tubercles that are often nipple-like or slightly bristled.
Habitat: Rocky ridges or talus, chaparral, woodland
Bloom period: May-Jun
Elevation: 900-1100 m
Bioregions: e&s SnFrB (Mount Diablo, Contra Costa Co. Mount Hamilton, Santa Clara Co.).
California counties: Contra Costa, Santa Clara
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.