[Biscuitroots and Desert Parsleys: The Genus Lomatium East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium

Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

Nine-leaf desert parsley (variety triternatum) as seen along Silver Lake Road at the eastern boundary to Klamath Marsh NWR several miles southwest of the headquarters compound..........May 20, 2016.

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)Nine-leaf desert parsley (variety triternatum) as seen along US 97 east of Satus Pass in south-central Washington.......May 10, 1997. Note the tri-pinnately compound leaves with long, narrow leaflets.
Characteristics:

Nine-leaf desert parsley is a perennial wildflower with one to a few erect stems arising from 20-80 cm high from a narrow, elongate taproot. The herbage is covered with fine, short hairs. The leaves are mostly basal, although some may be present at the middle or upper parts of the stems. The leaves are ternately or ternate-pinnately compound 2-3 times, and cleft into long, narrow segments or leaflets from 1-10 cm long.

The inflorescence is an umbel with 6-18 stems of unequal length supporting the umbelets, these stems measuring up to 3-6 cm long. The flowers are yellow. The fruits are oblong to broadly elliptic with narrow to broad wings, and measuring from 7-15 mm long. The bracts below the umbelets are filiform or are absent.


Similar Species:

Nine-leaf desert parsley could be confused with slender-fruited desert parsley (L. leptocarpum). The latter species has roots that have elongated or beaded swellings while the former has thick roots which lack the swellings. The latter species is also often 4 times pinnately compound with shorter leaf segments, while the nine-leaf desert parsley is tri-pinnately compound with longer, leaf segments (with the exception of L. triternatum var. anomalum, which has shorter, borader segments).


Habitat:

Nine-leaf desert parsley may be found on open slopes and in dry to fairly moist soil in meadows from the lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.


Range:

Nine-leaf desert parsley may be found from southern British Columbia south through Washington and Oregon on both sides of the Cascade Mts. to California and east to southern Alberta, Montana, Colorado and Utah.


Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

Nineleaf biscuitroot as seen in grasslands at the Lawrence Memorial Grasslands several miles southwest of Shaniko, OR...........May 15, 2010.

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

This photo shows nine-leaf desert parsley as seen along the Yakima Skyline Trail to the north of Selah, WA............March 22, 2008.

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

Nine-leaf desert parsley as seen at a small borrow pit along Road 35 about one-half mile uphill from the southern forest boundary on Table Mountain, Wenatchee National Forest..........June 4, 2013.

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum) --- Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum) --- Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

Umbel of Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum) --- Triternately compound leaf of Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

The photos above represent nineleaf desert parsley (variety triternatum) as seen on Selah Butte, several miles to the north of Yakima, WA..........March 28, 2007.


Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

The photo above shows nineleaf desert parsley (variety triternatum) as seen on Selah Butte, several miles to the north of Yakima, WA............April 24, 2007.

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum) - Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

Nineleaf desert parsley still in bloom next to snow drifts atop the summit ridge between Drake Peak Lookout and Light Peak, Fremont-Winema National Forest.......June 29, 2019. DNA tests need to be performed on samples from central Oregon to determine whether these are now Lomatium brevifolium or still Lomatium triternatum.

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum) - Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum) - Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

Nineleaf desert parsley in bloom along the Hanan Trail #142, Fremont-Winema National Forest......June 17, 2020.

The photo above shows nine-leaf desert parsley (variety anomalum) as seen atop Cabbage Hill along the old highway east of Pendleton, OR.............May 29, 1999.

The photo above shows the inflorescence of nine-leaf desert parsley (variety anomalum) as seen atop Cabbage Hill along the old highway east of Pendleton, OR.........May 29, 1999.

Nineleaf Biscuitroot, Nineleaf Desert Parsley, Nine-leaf Lomatium: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum (Synonyms: Lomatium simplex var. leptophyllum, Lomatium triternatum var. alatum, Lomatium triternatum var. macrocarpum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum, Lomatium triternatum ssp. triternatum var. triternatum)

Nine-leaf desert parsley (variety triternatum) as seen at higher elevations on Hart Mt., Hart Mt. National Antelope Preserve in south-central Oregon.

Paul Slichter