Taraxia tanacetifolia
Tansy leaf evening primrose
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Family: Onagraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Taraxia tanacetifolia (Tansy leaf evening primrose) is a native California herb in the Onagraceae family, recognized by deeply pinnately lobed leaves diagnostic versus T. subacaulis.
Tansy leaf evening primrose is a California native perennial found in the northern Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Sierra Nevada in open fields and moist clay slopes at elevations of 700 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces yellow flowers with petals 8 to 23 millimeters long. Growing with spreading or appressed short hairs and reaching heights of up to 50 centimeters, it develops an intricate growth pattern. Its leaves are deeply and irregularly pinnately lobed, measuring 65 to 320 millimeters long with narrow elliptic blades and petioles 10 to 80 millimeters in length. The fruit develops as a long-tapered, leathery structure 7 to 25 millimeters long that becomes swollen with seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; deeply pinnately lobed leaves diagnostic versus T. subacaulis
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open fields, moist slopes, clay soils
Elevation: 700-2500 m
California counties: Mono, Shasta, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, Siskiyou, Modoc, Butte, Nevada, Placer, Inyo
Outside California: to Washington, Idaho, Nevada
Bloom period
Taraxia tanacetifolia blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Camissoniopsis: Taraxia is perennial; Camissoniopsis is annual, dying after one growing season.; vs Camissonia: Taraxia fruits are cylindrical with thin bulging walls; Camissonia fruits are four-angled or coiled.; vs Oenothera: Taraxia has small flowers and cylindrical pods; Oenothera has large showy flowers and club-shaped pods.; vs Ranunculus: Taraxia has four-petaled flowers and cylindrical pods; Ranunculus has five petals and ball-shaped seed heads.; vs Viola: Taraxia has flowers on tall stems above leaves; Viola has flowers among leaves with distinctive spurred petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Taraxia tanacetifolia native to California?
Yes. Taraxia tanacetifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Taraxia tanacetifolia bloom?
Taraxia tanacetifolia blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Taraxia tanacetifolia grow?
Taraxia tanacetifolia occurs in Mono, Shasta, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, Siskiyou, Modoc, Butte and other counties, at elevations of 700-2500 m.
What plant family does Taraxia tanacetifolia belong to?
Taraxia tanacetifolia is in the Onagraceae family, genus Taraxia.
What habitat does Taraxia tanacetifolia grow in?
Taraxia tanacetifolia grows in Open fields, moist slopes, clay soils.
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
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.