Pomatosace filicula is only found in the north-eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Xizang (Tibet) and Qinghai. It grows in a variety of habitats, including alpine meadows and sand flats along rivers, at altitudes of . It flowers from May to June, and fruits from June to August. It is thought to have evolved to inhabit the open ground in front of the burrows of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) and other ground-dwelling mammals.