Taxon Report

Sanicula saxatilis Greene

rock sanicle

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Sanicula saxatilis, commonly known as rock sanicle, is a perennial herb in the Apiaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Broadleafed upland forest, Chaparral, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 620 to 1175 meters. Sanicula saxatilis is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Sanicula saxatilis Greene
Common Name:	rock sanicle
Family:	Apiaceae
Element Code:	PDAPI1Z0H0
USDA Plants Symbol:	SASA3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-May	Apr-May
Elevation:	620-1175 (2035-3855)
General Habitats:	Broadleafed upland forest, Chaparral, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:	Rocky, Scree, Talus
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	CR
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	9
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	3
Good (B)	4
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Contra Costa (CCA), Santa Clara (SCL)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Clayton (3712188), Isabel Valley (3712135), Lick Observatory (3712136), Los Gatos (3712128), Mt. Sizer (3712125)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	5
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	44 %
Foot traffic/trampling	4	44%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	3	33%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	11%
Non-native plant impacts	1	11%
Development	1	11%

Notes



Threatened by development. Possibly threatened by foot traffic. See Erythea 1:6 (1893) for original description, and University of California Publications in Botany 25:71-72 (1951) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 25 October 2025].