Tauschia is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the carrot family, Apiaceae (order Apiales), native to the Americas. Members of the genus are commonly called umbrellaworts. Like many members of the carrot family, Tauschia plants are perennials that grow from taproots or tubers and produce foliage broadly similar in appearance to that of parsley (Petroselinum) and carrot (Daucus), with divided or compound leaves and the characteristic compound umbel flower clusters that give the family its name.
The genus encompasses approximately 38 accepted species, distributed primarily through western North America — with the greatest diversity in California, the southwestern United States, and Mexico — and extending into Central America. Notable members include Tauschia arguta (southern umbrellawort) of California and the Santa Monica Mountains, Tauschia texana (Texas umbrellawort), Tauschia parishii (Parish's umbrellawort), Tauschia hartwegii (Hartweg's umbrellawort), and Tauschia kelloggii (Kellogg's umbrellawort).
Etymology
The genus name Tauschia honors Ignaz Friedrich Tausch (1793–1848), a Czech botanist and professor at Prague who contributed to the study of European flora. The common name "umbrellaworts" refers to the characteristic umbrella-shaped compound flower clusters (umbels) typical of family Apiaceae.
Distribution
Tauschia is native to the Americas, with the highest species diversity in western North America — particularly California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico — and some species extending into Texas and Central America. The genus is absent from the Old World.
