Species: Lomatium cous (S. Wats.) Coult. & Rose

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Lomatium cous (S. Wats.) Coult. & Rose

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Apiaceae

Genus:

Lomatium

Species Synonyms:

Lomatium circumdatum (S. Wats.) Coult. & Rose
Lomatium montanum Coult. & Rose

Common Names:

cous biscuitroot
Cous’ biscuitroot
cous-root desert-parsley

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southeastern Alberta - southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills

Ecoregion:

Cypress Hills Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

cobbly or rocky, east-facing slopes

Associated Species:

Delphinium bicolor, Lomatium macrocarpum, Penstemon procerus

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 N1 S1S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Lomatium cous is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare and regionally restricted in the province. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 30 cm tall

Roots:

taproot

Stems:

tuber thickened or subglobose (bulbous); acaulescent

Leaves:

basal, 1 – 3; petioles sheathing; leaves 5 – 9 cm long, ternate then 2 – 3 times pinnately divided; rachis dark purple at base, greenish towards the tip

Leaflets:

sessile; 1 – 3 cm long at leaf base, reduced towards tip; divisions 2 – 10 mm long, smooth and rounded, crowded

Inflorescence:

scape purple at base, greenish at top; umbel compound, erect or spreading; involucre lacking; rays of umbel to 10 cm long, unequal

Umbellets:

5 – 15; bractlets 8 – 10 green, obovate, distinct or united below, not extending beyond umbel; flowers 15 – 25

Flowers:

3 – 4 mm long, yellowish

Fruits:

schizocarp, 5 – 10 mm long, ovate, glabrous, oil tubes 3 – 4; rays uneven in fruit; wing straw-colored, narrower than to about equaling seed bearing body; stigma persistent; seeds dark brown

LOMATIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
Lomatium looks like Musineon but Musineon is not aromatic and the fruits are wingless.

1 Ovary and fruit usually hirtellous-pubescent	L. foeniculaceum
1 Ovary and fruit glabrous	2

2 Roots bulbous; plants acaulescent; bractlets obovate	L. cous
2 Roots not bulbous (may be thickened); plants caulescent; bractlets lanceolate	3

3 Plants 3 - 15 dm tall; stems glabrous; foliage puberulent; flowers yellow, occasionally purplish	L. dissectum var. multifidum
3 Plants 1 - 5 dm tall; stems and foliage pubescent; flowers white, purplish, sometimes pinkish	4

4 Plant densely tomentose, villous, or glabrate; involucel tomentose or villous, not scarious margined, equaling to surpassing flowers; wing broader than body	L. macrocarpum
4 Plant soft-puberulent; involucel glabrous with scarious margins, equaling flowers, wing narrower than body	L. orientale