Tauschia hartwegii
Hartweg's tauschia
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Family: Apiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Tauschia hartwegii (Hartweg's tauschia) is a native California herb in the Apiaceae family, recognized by reflexed bractlets and widespread distribution are key.
Hartweg's tauschia is a California native perennial found in northern California regions including the Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges, and southern California coastal areas in chaparral and pine/oak woodland at elevations below 1,800 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces yellow flowers in delicate compound umbels with unequal rays extending 2 to 12 centimeters long. Growing 30 to 100 centimeters tall with no distinct stem, it develops from a robust root system with distinctive foliage. Its large leaves are 12 to 24 centimeters long, deeply divided into 25 to 60 millimeter oblong to ovate leaflets that are coarsely serrate and often lobed. The fruits are approximately 4 to 7 millimeters round with thread-like ribs and distinctive oil tubes between the ribbed intervals.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; reflexed bractlets and widespread distribution are key
Habitat and range
Habitat: Chaparral, pine/oak woodland
Elevation: < 1800 m
California counties: Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, San Diego, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Sutter, Monterey, Tulare, Butte, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Nevada, Marin, Amador, Placer, Tehama, Shasta, Contra Costa, San Benito, Mariposa, El Dorado, Tuolumne, San Mateo, Santa Cruz
Bloom period
Tauschia hartwegii blooms Mar-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Lomatium: Tauschia has leaf-like bracts longer than flower stalks; Lomatium bracts are shorter or absent.; vs Sanicula: Tauschia flowers are yellow in open umbels; Sanicula flowers are tiny greenish in tight heads.; vs Sambucus: Tauschia has divided carrot-family leaves; Sambucus has pinnate leaves and is a shrub.; vs Angelica: Tauschia flowers are yellow; Angelica flowers are white or greenish.; vs Foeniculum: Tauschia has broader leaflets; Foeniculum has hair-fine, fragrant, feathery foliage.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tauschia hartwegii native to California?
Yes. Tauschia hartwegii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Tauschia hartwegii bloom?
Tauschia hartwegii blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Tauschia hartwegii grow?
Tauschia hartwegii occurs in Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, San Diego, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Sutter and other counties, at elevations of < 1800 m.
What plant family does Tauschia hartwegii belong to?
Tauschia hartwegii is in the Apiaceae family, genus Tauschia.
What habitat does Tauschia hartwegii grow in?
Tauschia hartwegii grows in Chaparral, pine/oak 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.