Species: Lomatium dissectum

Fernleaf Desert-parsley

Species

Plants

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

Classification

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Anthophyta

Class

Dicotyledoneae

Order

Apiales

Family

Apiaceae

Genus

Lomatium

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.133802

Classification

Other Global Common Names

Chocolate-tips - fernleaf biscuitroot

Informal Taxonomy

Plants, Vascular - Flowering Plants - Carrot Family

Formal Taxonomy

Plantae - Anthophyta - Dicotyledoneae - Apiales - Apiaceae - Lomatium - A synonym for Lomatium dissectum is Leptotaenia dissecta Nutt.(Torrey and Gray, 1840). Kartesz (1994 and 1999) recognizes two varieties of Lomatium dissectum: variety dissectum and variety multifidum. A third, variety eatonii, has sometimes been recognized as well, but is treated by Kartesz (1999) in his var. multifidum.

Ecology and Life History

Short General Description

Lomatium dissectum is a robust perennial plant with a very large woody taproot. It looks like a typical member of the parsley (Apiaceae) family. It is usually 50 to 150 cm, but can be up to 200cm, tall at maturity. It has several stout, glabrous and ascending stems. The large leaves are ternate-pinnately dissected and both basal and cauline. The lowest leaves are largest. The inflorescence comprises compound umbels. There are 10-30 rays to the umbel and one can clearly distinguish the umbellets at anthesis. The flowers are yellow or, rarely, purple. The fruit are elliptic with narrow wings (after Cronquist et al. 1997).

Ecology Comments

Generally, Lomatium dissectum is described as growing in dry upland areas. However, in south central Idaho the author of this report noticed L. dissectum was more commonly in drainage bottoms where there was slightly more seasonal water and in northern California the only population observed near one National Forest was growing along a creek. Little has been reported on the ecology of L. dissectum and it is unknown whether any of the varieties exhibit a preference for areas where the potential for water harvesting exists. According to one author, 99 percent of Lomatium dissectum seeds are destroyed by insects every year (Klein, 2000). Plants are readily pollinated by a number of different insects, e.g. flies and bees. Pollination generally occurs through geitonogamy, with the pistil of one flower being pollinated by the anthers of adjacent flowers.

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

2003-02-28

Global Status Last Changed

2002-07-28

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum occurs in, and west of, the Cascade Range and in northern Idaho. Variety multifidum occurs in south British Columbia and to northern Wyoming, central Idaho and central Oregon and less commonly to northern Nevada and southern Idaho. It has also been reported to occur through California to Baja California (Hickman, 1993). Variety eatonii occurs from southern Wyoming, southern Idaho and central and northeastern Oregon, Colorado, Nevada and southern California (Cronquist et al, 1997). A distribution map for Lomatium dissectum is provided on the internet (see citation list).

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.133802