BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Yabea microcarpa
California hedge-parsley
| Scientific Name: | Yabea microcarpa (Hook. & Arn.) K.-Pol. | ||||||||||
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| English Name: | California hedge-parsley | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vascular Plant | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | YABEMIC | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G5? (Nov 1990) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | S3S4 (Apr 2022) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Yellow | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | 2 - May be at risk (2010) | ||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Technical Description: | |||||||||||
| Identification Comments: | Yabea microcarpa is a small annual species of the Apiaceae (parsley) family. It has a single, sometimes branched, 10-40 cm long stem that arises from a slender taproot. Leaves are basal, compound, stalked, and finely divided, and are 2-6 cm in length. The flowers are compound umbels. Flower stems number 1-9 and are exerted from the upper tuft of leaves. Flowers are white and subtended by leaf-like bracts. Fruits are oblong, 3-7 mm long, have hooked prickles along the ribs, and are laterally compressed and beakless (Douglas and Smith 2004e). | ||||||||||
| Similar Species: | There are several look-alikes within the range of Yabea microcarpa in B.C. Torilis japonica, an introduced Japanese plant, is distinguished from Y. microcarpa by a single bractlet that subtends the flower. Torilis japonica has beaked fruits; Y. microcarpa has beakless fruits. The fruit of T. japonica is covered in generally distributed prickles rather than along the ridges as found in Y. microcarpa. Similarly, Anthriscus caucalis, from Europe, differs by having beaked fruits with a ring of short flattened hairs on each seed rather than along the ribs. Daucus pusillus has similar foliage as Y. microcarpa but does not have flowering stems exerted beyond the subtending bracts (Douglas and Smith 2004e). | ||||||||||
| Provincial Reproduction Comments: | Yabea microcarpa is an annual. Some flowers within an inflorescence are staminate while others are functional pistillate. Yabea, typical of most Apiaceae, is self-compatible. Various insects are pollinators. The species reproduces by seeds. Because of Y. microcarpa's fragmented distribution, genetic exchange between populations by either pollen exchange or seed dispersal is probably quite limited. The numerous small hooks on the seeds may facilitate their active dispersal by birds and animals. Y. microcarpa may not be very efficient at dispersal because extant sites are few even though the amount of available habitat is much larger. Seed attachment to bird feathers has probably been the dispersal vector responsible for the existence of the species on most Gulf Islands. Water barriers between islands range from 1 to 10 km. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Ecology Comments: | Yabea microcarpa is found exclusively within the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic unit, which has a Mediterranean-like climate with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Summer drought is also an important climatic feature of the region. Y. microcarpa occurs mainly in Garry oak and associated ecosystems. It prefers warm, grassy slopes and rock outcrops or open, xeric forests. Dry forests in which Y. microcarpa occurs are either Garry oak or Douglas-fir dominated or are a mix of both species (Douglas and Smith 2004e, COSEWIC 2008e). In forested settings, Y. microcarpa is often found near the base of trees. This suggests that it may benefit from reduced competition or some other factor on these sites. Because Y. microcarpa is an annual, it may be able to endure unfavourable growth years by persisting in the seed bank. In general, it does not appear to like heavy shade or extreme competition from shrubs or herbs. The introduction of very aggressive introduced weed species is probably reducing favourable sites for the establishment and existence of Y. microcarpa. In the past, this species may have benefited from periodic, rapid, surface fires which created more opportunities for it to establish and compete. The importance of herbivory on Y. microcarpa is not known, but no evidence of herbivory, domestic stock, or native animals was noted during intensive surveys conducted in 2004 (Douglas and Smith 2004e, COSEWIC 2008e). Moderate grazing by domestic stock might benefit the species. The effect of minor trampling damage might be more than compensated for by the opportunity to colonize disturbed microsites and by accelerated dispersal of seeds by grazing animals. | ||||||||||
| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Forest / Conifer Forest - Dry / Facultative - occasional use
Forest / Deciduous/Broadleaf Forest / Facultative - frequent use Forest / Garry Oak Woodland / Facultative - frequent use Grassland/Shrub / Grassland / Facultative - frequent use Grassland/Shrub / Meadow / Facultative - occasional use Other Unique Habitats / Vernal Pools/Seasonal Seeps / Facultative - occasional use Rock/Sparsely Vegetated Rock / Rock/Sparsely Vegetated Rock / Facultative - occasional use |
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| Provincial Habitat Comments: | Yabea microcarpa occurs mainly in dry, open to partially shaded, Garry oak and conifer forests, but it is also often found in other dry ecosystems associated with dry forests. These other ecosystems include moist to xeric grassy slopes and rock outcrops. Within these sites, Y. microcarpa is almost always found on moderate to steep, warm aspects or on hill crests. Soils are well to rapidly drained, and are often shallow and coarse textured. On shallow grassy slopes and rock outcrops Y. microcarpa is often associated with the following native plant species: Claytonia parviflora, C. perfoliata, Montia fontana, Osmorhiza berteroi, and Sanicula crassicaulis. Most sites have introduced plant species. Common, abundant, introduced species include Anthoxanthum odoratum, Bromus sterilis, and Geranium molle. Common associated plant species in the understory of dry open forests include Cersatium arvense, Mahonia aquifolium, O. berteroi, and S. crassicaulus. Open forest sites include an abundance of introduced plant species among which Cynosurus enchinata and Dactylis glomerata are the most common. Yabea microcarpa is widespread and common in similar habitats in the western United States. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
Mar: Germinating / Germinating
Apr: Germinating / Germinating May: Flowering / Flowering Jun: Flowering / Flowering |
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| Provincial Phenology Comments: | There is little documented information on the phenology of Yabea microcarpa in B.C. except that the plants reach flowering stage in May to June (Douglas and Smith 2004e). Germination is most likely in spring when soils are moist. | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): | Provincial: 10 / 320 | ||||||||||
| Known Pests: | |||||||||||
| Pollen Vector: | |||||||||||
| Pollinator: | |||||||||||
| Dispersal: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Inventory | |||||||||||
| Inventory Priority: | |||||||||||
| Ownership of occurrences (Known locations): | Mixed private/government | ||||||||||
| Inventory Need: |
Numbers of Yabea microcarpa in B.C. are low and populations are very fragmented. More search effort is required to provide a more complete inventory of Yabea microcarpa. Concentrated surveys in 2003 and 2004 in preparation for a COSEWIC status report located 7 sites (Douglas and Smith 2004e). Four additional sites have been located since that time (COSEWIC 2008e), which suggests that additional surveys in suitable habitats will probably locate new populations, especially if search efforts focus on suitable habitat in less populated areas away from Victoria and vicinity. This would include, for example, unexplored sites on Saturna Island. |
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| Inventory Comments: | The first documented observation of this species in Canada was made by Macoun in 1908 at Nanaimo. Until 1965, the only additional populations identified were from Cowichan Lake and Mt Helmcken. However, none of these three populations were rediscovered during surveys conducted in 2003 and 2004 (Douglas and Smith 2004e) or 2008 (M. Miller, pers. comm. 2008). It is possible that more intensive surveys could relocate these populations. | ||||||||||
| Economic Attributes | |||||||||||
| Provincial Economic Comments: | These is no economic value for Yabea microcarpa in B.C. | ||||||||||
| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Disjunct, more common elsewhere: | N | ||||||||||
| Peripheral, major distribution elsewhere: | Y | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | Ken Simonar | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Feb 26, 2004 | ||||||||||
| Last Literature Search: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
Douglas, G.W., and S.J. Smith. 2004e. Draft Stewardship Account on California hedge-parsley Yabea microcarpa. Prepared for B.C. Minist. Water, Land and Air Prot. Sponsored by Parks Canada. Victoria, BC. 21pp. |
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Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Penny. 2002. Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia, 2nd ed. B.C. Conserv. Data Centre, Terrestrial Inf. Branch, Victoria. 358pp. |
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Douglas, G.W., G.D. Straley, and D. Meidinger, eds. 1998b. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Vol. 1, Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons (Aceraceae through Asteraceae). B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Wildl. Branch, and B.C. Minist. For. Res. Program. 436pp. |
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DRAFT DO NOT CITE, USE S. SMITH, PERS. COMM. 2008. COSEWIC. 2008e. Unsolicited COSEWIC status report on California hedge-parsley, Yabea microcarpa. Prepared for Comm. on the Status of Endangered Wildl. in Canada. 6-month interim draft report : May 2008. 20 pp. |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. Species Summary: Yabea microcarpa. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 4, 2026).