Scandix pecten-veneris
Venus' needle, Venus' Needle
(c) Jerry Lanfear, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Scandix pecten-veneris (Venus' needle) is a non-native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by Only Scandix species in California, representing a Mediterranean genus with distinctive long-beaked fruits.
Venus' needle is a naturalized annual found in the California Floristic Province on grassy slopes and roadsides at elevations of 15 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces delicate white flowers in small clusters with lance-linear bractlets. Growing 15 to 50 centimeters tall with ascending stems, it develops a distinctive feathery appearance with finely divided leaves. Its leaves have thin, linear segments approximately 1.5 millimeters long, creating a delicate, lacy foliage structure. The fruit features an elongated beak 2 to 7 centimeters long that is compressed and bristly-ciliate, giving the plant its needle-like character.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Only Scandix species in California, representing a Mediterranean genus with distinctive long-beaked fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy slopes, roadsides
Elevation: 15-1000 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Marin, Lake, Santa Barbara, Placer, Santa Cruz, Contra Costa, Butte, Sonoma, San Francisco, Humboldt, Solano, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Ventura, Napa, Amador, Yuba, Orange, Alameda, El Dorado, Nevada, Calaveras, Colusa, Los Angeles, Mendocino, Tehama, Shasta, San Diego, Tuolumne, Riverside, Yolo
Outside California: native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Scandix pecten-veneris blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Daucus: Scandix has smooth fruits with extremely long beaks; carrot fruits are bristly without long beaks.; vs Anthriscus: Scandix beak is much longer than the seed body; Anthriscus beak is much shorter than seed body.; vs Torilis: Scandix fruits have smooth long needle beaks; Torilis fruits are covered in hooked bristles.; vs Conium: Scandix has long thin fruit beaks; poison hemlock has round fruits with wavy ridges and purple stem spots.; vs Valerianella: Scandix fruits have extremely long needle beaks; corn salad has short blunt fruits without beaks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scandix pecten-veneris native to California?
No. Scandix pecten-veneris is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Scandix pecten-veneris bloom?
Scandix pecten-veneris blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Scandix pecten-veneris grow?
Scandix pecten-veneris occurs in San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Marin, Lake, Santa Barbara, Placer, Santa Cruz, Contra Costa and other counties, at elevations of 15-1000 m.
What plant family does Scandix pecten-veneris belong to?
Scandix pecten-veneris is in the Apiaceae family, genus Scandix.
What habitat does Scandix pecten-veneris grow in?
Scandix pecten-veneris grows in Grassy slopes, roadsides.
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.