The
photo at shows a close-up of the inflorescence of Geyer's desert parsley as seen
on a Missoula Flood sandbar along the Little Spokane River near the Spokane Country
Club..........April 20, 2002.
Geyer's desert parsley is a glabrous perennial wildflower with one to several erect to ascending flower scapes from 15-55 cm tall arising from an almost spherical root up to 2 cm thick or an elongated, cylindrical root that is constricted at regular intervals. The one to several leaves are all attached to the stem at or below the ground. The blades are 4-14 cm long and ternately divided and then divided pinnately one or two times. The narrow, linear segments are 3-30 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. The flower scapes are longer than the leaves.
The inflorescence is an umbel with 7-18 unequal rays from 3-67 mm long. The bracts at the base of the umbellets are narrowly lanceolate or linear and most typically from 2-3 mm long. The pedicels are up to 4-5 mm long in fruit. The flowers are white with purplish anthers (See photo at right.). The glabrous fruits are ovate in shape with wings from 1-1.5 mm wide. The fruits measure from 7-13 mm long.
Geyer's Desert Parsley: Lomatium geyeri - Plants from 15-40 cm tall at maturity. The glabrous fruits are 7-12 mm long and the bracts of the umbellets are 2-3 mm long.
Salt and Pepper, Gorman's Desert Parsley: Lomatium gormanii - Plants up to 15 cm tall. Fruits minutely pubescent. The minutely pubescent fruits are 5-7 mm long and the bracts of the umbellets are typically less than 2 mm long.
Salt and Pepper, Piper's Desert Parsley: Lomatium piperi - Plants up to 15 cm tall.The glabrous fruits are 5-7 mm long with the bracts of the umbellets typically less than 2 mm long.
Geyer's desert parsley may be found on open slopes and flats and in open woods from the lowlands and foothills to moderate elevations in the mountains.
Geyer's desert parsley may be found east of the Cascade Mts. from southern British Columbia south to Kititas County, Washington and east through Lincoln and Spokane Counties in Washington to Kootenai County in Idaho.