Tauschia arguta is native to the mountains of southern California and Baja California, where it grows in local habitat types such as woodlands and chaparral.
A perennial herb growing 30 to 70 centimeters tall, the leaves have blades which are divided into several toothed leaflets and borne on long petioles. The inflorescence is a compound umbel of yellow flowers with up to 25 rays measuring 2 to 12 centimeters long each. The fruit is almost a centimeter long and has deep longitudinal ribs.