Osmorhiza brachypoda is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae known by the common name California sweetcicely.
Description Osmorhiza brachypoda is a hairy, aromatic perennial herb growing tall.
The green leaves have blades up to 20 centimeters long which are divided into toothed or lobed leaflets. The blade is borne on a long petiole.
The inflorescence is a compound umbel of many tiny greenish yellow flowers at the tip of a stemlike peduncle. The narrow, elongated fruit is ribbed and bristly, measuring up to 2 centimeters long.
Distribution and habitat It is native to mountainous and wooded areas of California and Arizona, at elevations from . Habitats include chaparral and woodlands and coniferous forests.
It is found in the Southern California Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and the central and southern Sierra Nevada foothills.
Ecology This is the only known host plant for the California endemic moth Greya suffusca.TolWeb: Greya suffusca
References
External links Jepson Manual Treatment of Osmorhiza brachypoda USDA Plants Profile for Osmorhiza brachypoda (California sweet cicely) NatureServe Explorer Osmorhiza brachypoda — CalPhotos photo gallery