Botany

These Lomatium dissectum roots were harvested in Northern Nevada from the sagebrush/Juniper zone above 5000' elevation. The silver ruler is 6 inches long. The plant may take 20 years or more to grow to sufficient size to harvest. Due to this slow growth rate and site requirements, it is un-profitable for commercial herb farmers to grow it at this time.

Our responsible plant collectors will take no more than one in twenty in a site with normal distribution of Lomatium dissectum roots. When the area has a lower plant population, they go elsewhere. It is imperative to maintain substantial wild growing regions.

Lomatium dissectum grows on steep slopes, here several plants bloom yellow. To the left is the pink flower of Desert Peach. In the background is bitterbrush and sagebrush.

Lomatium dissectum leaves resemble those of a carrot or parsley plant. The name "dissectum" refers to finely divided or dissected leaves.

Here in Northern Nevada, the Lomatium dissectum flowers are dark sulfur yellow, and persist about two weeks in late May or early June.

Poking through bitterbrush's lower branches, Lomatium dissectum
Sends up flower stalks near Virginia City, Nevada. Local miners in the 30's knew they could harvest and dry a few plants to sell to the pharmacy, in case their claim wasn't showing any silver that month.

A small Lomatium dissectum plant in the center of the photo, as we often find it, occurring among sagebrush and widely scattered Junipers. This area varies from 7 to 10 inches of rainfall per year, most of which comes as snow, causing summer dormancy in Lomatium species. Only a dry hollow flower stalk will mark this site from midsummer until the next springtime.

This older Lomatium dissectum plant sends up many flower stalks, and will probably produce about 800 to 1000 seeds. It is important for plant harvesters to leave seed plants, particularly on the uphill zones. The flat, oval seeds resemble those of dillweed.

Lomatium dissectum Images