Species: Lomatium dissectum var. multifidum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance

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Lomatium dissectum var. multifidum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Apiaceae

Genus:

Lomatium

Species Synonyms:

Lomatium dissectum var. eatonii (Coult. & Rose) Cronq.
Leptotaenia multifida Nutt.

Common Names:

carrotleaf biscuitroot

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

British Columbia, including Vancouver Island - southwestern Alberta, southeastern Alberta - southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills

Ecoregion:

Cypress Hills Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

cobbfine soils, north-facing slopes, forested areas dominated by Populus sp., Pinus contorta, or Picea glauca ly or rocky, east-facing slopes

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G4T4 S1

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:

30 – 150 cm tall

Roots:

taproot short, knobby, fusiform

Stems:

ridged, glabrous, straw colored; rarely absent

Leaves:

cauline; alternate; sheathing; 15 – 40 cm long, 10 – 30 cm wide; deltoid to orbicular; ternate then 2 – 4 times pinnate, adaxial surface glabrous; veins and margin on abaxial surface short hispid

Leaflets:

ultimate divisions 2 – 20 mm long, linear

Inflorescence:

umbel compound; bract to 1 cm long; rays 10 – 20, 4.5 – 5.5 cm

Umbellets:

involucel strongly reflexed, linear to lanceolate; fruiting pedicels 0.4 - 2 cm in var. multifidum; flowers 20 – 40

Flowers:

~ 2 mm long, yellowish or dark purple, some sterile

Fruits:

schizocarps to 1.2 cm long, 6 – 10 mm wide, elliptic, light colored, glabrous; styles persistent; lateral wings thick and corky, narrower than seed-bearing body; oil tubes obscure, flattened

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