About Lomatium caruifolium (Hook. & Arn.) J.M.Coult. & Rose
Lomatium caruifolium grows from a taproot and reaches 15 to 45 centimeters (5.9 to 17.7 inches) in height. It usually has no stem, producing both erect leaves and inflorescences directly from ground level. The leaves can be up to 30 centimeters long, and are divided into many highly divided leaflets that have narrow, pointed lobes. The inflorescence ends in an umbel that bears flowers ranging from yellowish to purplish in color. This perennial herb is endemic to California, where it occurs in the Central Valley, the foothills of the Inner California Coast Ranges, and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It grows in seasonally wet grassland and riparian areas, including vernal pools, other temporary puddles, and alkaline puddles.
