About Lomatium utriculatum (Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) J.M.Coult. & Rose
Lomatium utriculatum (Nutt. ex Torr. & A.Gray) J.M.Coult. & Rose is a hairless to lightly hairy perennial herb. It grows up to 0.5 meters (1+1⁄2 feet) tall from a slender taproot. Its leaves grow both at the plant's base and from the middle and upper sections of the stem. Leaf blades measure 5–15 centimeters (2–6 inches) long, and are borne on stalks that are 2–10 cm (3⁄4–4 inches) long. Each leaf is generally divided and subdivided into many small linear lobes. Leaves positioned higher on the stem have prominent sheaths. The plant's inflorescence is a compound umbel of yellow flowers with rays that can reach up to 12 cm (4+1⁄2 inches) long. Flowering occurs from February to June, and the inflorescence expands to 25 cm (10 inches) across when the plant develops fruit. The seedlike fruit is 5–10 millimeters (3⁄16–3⁄8 inches) long. This species is native to western North America, ranging from British Columbia to California. It grows in many habitat types, including chaparral, and occurs in the Sierra Nevada. In Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia, Lomatium utriculatum is most often found west of the Cascade Mountain crest. This differs from most Lomatium species, which grow in dry areas east of the Cascades. Many Native American groups used this plant as a food source and a medicinal remedy. Some of these groups ate the plant's fresh raw leaves.
