Calflora Taxon Report
Veratrum californicum Durand
California false hellebore
Veratrum californicum is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Alternate Names and Sources:
None
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
The blue points on the map indicate observations in Calflora.
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Potential Range Plant Characteristics Location Suitability
Observations: ~1,381 records Add an Observation to Calflora Search for Veratrum californicum
Name Status:
Accepted by: PLANTS + POWO
Calflora Category:
angiosperm
Jepson eFlora section:
monocot
USDA PLANTS group:
Monocot
Toxicity:
Do not eat any part of this plant.
Wetlands:
Arid West: Occurs usually in wetlands, occasionally in non wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Equally likely to occur in wetlands and non wetlands
Habitat:
meadows
Communities:
Douglas-Fir Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, wetland-riparian

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Additional Photos on Calflora
External links:
USDA Plant Profile Consortium of California Herbaria (CCH2) International Plants Names Index (IPNI)
CalPhotos (UC Berkeley) iNaturalist PlantID.net Calscape (CNPS)

[Wikipedia] Range, Habitat, Teratogenic Effects: Veratrum californicum (California corn lily, white or California false hellebore) is an extremely poisonous plant[1] native to western North America, including the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, as far north as Washington and as far south as Durango; depending on latitude, it grows from near sea level to as high as 11,000 feet.[2][3] Teratogenic effects It is a source of jervine, muldamine and cyclopamine, teratogens which can cause prolonged gestation associated with birth defects[7] such as holoprosencephaly and cyclopia in animals such as sheep,[1] horses, and other mammals that graze upon it. These substances inhibit the hedgehog signaling pathway.[8] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)

Suggested Citation
“Calflora - Taxon Report.” The Calflora Database, a non-profit organization. .

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