Cascade Desert Parsley, Coast Range Lomatium, Few-fruited
Desert Parsley, Martindale's Desert Parsley
Lomatium martindalei
Synonyms: Cogsellia martindalei, Lomatium angustatum, Lomatium martindalei var. angustatum, Lomatium martindalei var. flavum, Lomatium martindalei var. martindalei, Peucedanum martindalei var. angustatum
Cascade desert parsley as seen along the Tarbell Trail on the west slopes of Silver Star Mountain, Gifford Pinchot National Forest........June 9, 2021.
The
photo at right shows a close-up of the fruits of martindale's desert parsley
as seen atop Potato Hill which is several miles north of Mt. Adams.......July
11, 2005.
Characteristics: Cascade desert parsley is an attractive (especially
with its glaucous-gren, fern-like foliage) perennial wildflower with one to
several flower scapes rising frooom 15-40 cm high from a cluster of basal
leaves. The herbage of the stems and leaves is largely glabrous, although
it may occasionally be minutely rough. The leaves are pinnately or ternate-pinnately
once to twice compound with less than 60 toothed to cleft leaflets (See photo
below.). The blades measure from 3-15 cm long with the leaflets ovate to oblong
in shape, each measuring 8-15 mm long with obtuse to acute teeth on the margins.
The petioles measure 2-5 cm long with the base widening to a broad membranous
sheath.
The inflorescence is a 4-16 rayed umbel with
the rays 1.5-7 cm long in fruit. Individual umbellets consist of 2-6 flowers,
each with pedicels 2-8 mm long. Frequently, only 1-3 fertile flowers are found
per umbellet. Involucres and involucels at the base of the rays are generally
lacking. The flowers range from yellow to yellow-white or creamy in color.
The fruits are dark purplish in color, narrowly oblong in shape, with prominent
dorsal and intermediate ribs, and measuring from 6-16 mm long.
Habitat:
Martindale's desert parsley may be found on rocky
slopes and in dry meadows and dry, open coniferous forest from middle levations
to subalpine habitats in the mountains. In the Columbia River Gorge, it may
be found nearly to sea level, usually on cliffs and rocky slopes.
Range:
Martindale's desert parsley may be found trom
southern British Columbia south through the Cascade Mts. of Washington to
southern Oregon. It is also found in the Olympic Mts. of Northwestern Washington
and the coast range of Oregon.
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Cascade desert parsley as seen at left in meadows north of the South Fork Conrad Creek and slightly west of an old pack trail leading from the previous creek to the North Fork Conrad Creek, Goat Rocks Wilderness.........July 23, 2016. The photo at right shows Cascade desert parsley on ski slopes along the Timberline Trail at Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area......July 6, 2019.
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Martindale's desert parsley seen at left from Bird Creek Meadows, Yakama Nation lands at the southeastern corner of Mt. Adams.......July
16, 2006. The photo at right shows Martindale's desert parsleywith spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa) along the Pacific Crest Trail #2000 between Cispus Basin and Cispus Pass, Goat Rocks Wilderness........August 19, 2020.
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Maturing fruits of Cascade desert parsley observed in the meadows of High Prairie, Badger Creek Wilderness......August 27, 2022.
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Fruits of Cascade desert parsley as seen at left on Cispus Point, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.........July 4, 2015. The photo at right shows cascade desert parsley with developing fruits as seen on slopes above Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area, Mount Hood, OR.......July 4, 2021.
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Cascade desert parsley as seen at left above timberline along the Butte Camp Trail #238A near the Loowit Trail #216, Mount Saint Helens National Monument........June 9, 2015. The photo at right shows Cascade desert parsley blooming along the summit ridge of Lookout Mountain, Badger Creek Wilderness......June 29, 2023.
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Cascade desert parsley with maturing fruits observed atop Scott Mountain, Mount Washington Wilderness.....July 18, 2023.
The photo above shows a young Martindale's
desert parsley as seen at Bird Creek Meadows.......July
16, 2006. The plant should add more leaves as well as several additional inflorescences
as the season progresses.
The photo above and immediately below shows
Martindale's desert parsley. The numerous lobes of the pinnately divided leaves
are broader and more ovate or wedge-shaped than many others of this genus.
Photographed in the summit crater of Potato Hill, on the north side of Mt.
Adams.......June 21, 2005.
The photo above shows the attractive leaves and light yellow
umbels of Martindale's desert parsley as seen atop Potato Hill to the north
of Mt. Adams........July 11, 2005.
Paul Slichter