[Biscuitroots and Desert Parsleys: The Genus Lomatium in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

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, 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)

Martindale's desert parsley as seen high atop Hardy Ridge, Beacon Rock State Park..........April 20, 2015.
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.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 100'-4900' from Crown Point in the west eastward to Mt. Defiance.

Leaf of 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)

Fruits of 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)

Fruits of cascade desert parsley as seen on Cispus Point, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.........July 4, 2015.

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, 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)

Two views of cascade desert parsley as seen atop Angels Rest in the Columbia River Gorge........May 18, 2009.

Inflorescence and leaf of 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, 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 (left) along the upper section of the McCord Creek Trail in the western Columbia River Gorge........May 20, 2009. The photo at right shows cascade desert parsley blooming along the ridgeline about a mile north of Hamilton Rock, Beacon Rock State Park.........March 30, 2016.

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, 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 (left) along the Eagle Creek Trail near the one mile point, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.........April 13, 2012. The photo at right shows cascade desert parsley as seen atop Hardy Ridge, Beacon Rock State Park..........April 8, 2016.

Close-up sideview of the umbel of 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) - Close-up of several umbellets of 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)

Close-up images of the inflorescence of cascade desert parsley as seen along the Eagle Creek Trail near the one mile point, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area...........April 13, 2012.

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, 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)

The photo at left 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. Note also the broad, membranous sheathing bases of the leaves. Photographed in the summit crater of Potato Hill, on the north side of Mt. Adams.......June 21, 2005. The photo at right shows Martindale's desert parsley begining to bloom atop the saddle at the north end of the Hamilton Mountain ridgeline........May 2, 2023.
Paul Slichter