California Yampah

Perideridia californica (Torr.) Nelson & Macbr Bot. Gaz. 61: 33. 1916.
Chaerophyllum .' californicum Torr. Pacif. R.R. Rep. 4 1 : 93. 1857. Podosciadium californicum A. Grav, Proc. Am. Acad. 7: 346. 1868. Eulophus califomicus Coult. & Rose, Rev. N. Am. Umbell. 1 14. 1S88. Conopodium californicum K.-Pol. Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. II. 29: 205. 1916. Eulophus califomicus var. sanclorus Jepson, Madrono 1: 130. 1923.
Slender, from a fascicle of fusiform tubers, 5-10 dm. high; leaves deltoid in general outline, excluding the petioles 15-25 cm. long, ternate-pinnately dissected, the ultimate divisions usually dimorphic, the terminal linear, elongate, entire, 3-8 cm. long, the lateral linear to ovate, entire to pinnatifid, 5-30 mm. long, the rachises and petioles often slightly inflated; petioles 2-5 cm. long, often sheathing throughout; peduncles slender, 4-20 cm. long; involucre of several linearlanceolate, acuminate bracts, 3-12 mm. long; involucel of several lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, scarious or colored bractlets, 1-4 mm. long, shorter than the flowers and fruit; rays 5-10, 3-6 cm. long; pedicels 5-10 mm. long; styles slender, recurved, about 1 mm. long; stylopodium low; fruit oblong, 6-8 mm. long, 2-3 mm. broad; oil-tubes solitary in the intervals, 4 on the commissure; seed-face deeply concave and with a prominent central ridge.
Type locality: "Wet ravines. Knights Ferry," Stanislaus County. California. Bigelow. Distribution: Central California (Elmer 43-44, Constance if Morrison 2595).

Perideridia californica is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name California yampah. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the Central Coast Ranges and a section of the Sierra Nevada foothills. It grows in moist soils, often near streams. It is a perennial herb which may approach 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from cylindrical tubers measuring up to 12 centimeters long. Leaves near the base of the plant have blades up to 40 centimeters long which are divided into many flat, narrow, subdivided lobes. Leaves higher on the plant are smaller and less divided. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many spherical clusters of small white flowers. These yield ribbed, oblong-shaped fruits under a centimeter long.