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Taxon  Report  
Glehnia littoralis  F. Schmidt ex Miq.  ssp. leiocarpa  (Mathias) Hultén
American glehnia,   American silvertop
Glehnia littoralis ssp. leiocarpa is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
California Rare Plant Rank: 4.2 (limited distribution).
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
Observation Search
~63 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Parent: Glehnia littoralis
Genus: Glehnia
Family: Apiaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands:
Arid West: Occurs in non wetlands
Mountains, Valleys and Coast: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Habitat: coastal

Communities: Coastal Strand

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS
Alternate Names:
PLANTSCymopterus littoralis
JEF + PLANTSGlehnia leiocarpa
PLANTSGlehnia littoralis var. leiocarpa
Information about  Glehnia littoralis ssp. leiocarpa from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (GLLIL)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[explorer.natureserve.org] Limited Range, Taxonomy: A distinct subspecies limited to the North American Pacific coast, distinguished from the typical subspecies of the Asiatic Pacific coast by its hairy fruits. Treated as a distinct species by Hitchcock, et al (1955) (B55HIT01AKUS), while recognized as a subspecies in most other treatments, including Kartesz (1989) (U89KAR01AKUS). (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/27/2025).