Spermolepis echinata
Bristly scaleseed
(c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Spermolepis echinata (Bristly scaleseed) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family.
Bristly scaleseed is a California native annual found in the Borrego Valley in southern California on rocky slopes and sandy flats at elevations of 60 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces small white flowers in delicate umbels with unequal rays spreading across the landscape. Growing low and spreading, with stems 5 to 40 centimeters long, it forms a loose, open ground-hugging structure. Its leaves have delicate, thread-like segments about 2 to 18 millimeters long, with ovate blades up to 25 millimeters wide. The fruit features prominent ribs covered in short, bristly hairs, giving the plant its distinctive name.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species; geographically isolated in DSon bioregion
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky slopes, sandy flats
Elevation: 60-1500 m
California counties: San Diego
Outside California: to southeastern United States, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Spermolepis echinata blooms Mar-Apr.
How to tell it apart
vs Apiastrum: Spermolepis grows in deserts with alternate leaves; Apiastrum in chaparral with opposite leaves.; vs Torilis: Spermolepis has smooth flower stalks; Torilis has hairy stalks and herbage throughout.; vs Ammoselinum: Spermolepis flower clusters are completely smooth; Ammoselinum clusters are finely fuzzy.; vs Cyclospermum: Spermolepis has wide-oval fruits in deserts; Cyclospermum has narrower fruits in wet areas.; vs Daucus: Spermolepis has few-rayed open clusters in deserts; Daucus has many-rayed nest-like clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Spermolepis echinata native to California?
Yes. Spermolepis echinata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Spermolepis echinata bloom?
Spermolepis echinata blooms Mar-Apr.
Where in California does Spermolepis echinata grow?
Spermolepis echinata occurs in San Diego, at elevations of 60-1500 m.
What plant family does Spermolepis echinata belong to?
Spermolepis echinata is in the Apiaceae family, genus Spermolepis.
What habitat does Spermolepis echinata grow in?
Spermolepis echinata grows in Rocky slopes, sandy flats.
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.