Lomatium ambiguum
(Nutt.)Coult.&Rose.
Apiaceae
The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.
Common Name: Biscuitroot
General Information
Lomatium ambiguum is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.75 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
60- Title
- Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hitchcock. C. L.
- Publisher
- University of Washington Press
- Year
- 1955
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
Range
Western N. America - British Columbia and Washington to Montana.
Habitat
Open slopes and flat land up to moderate elevations[
60- Title
- Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hitchcock. C. L.
- Publisher
- University of Washington Press
- Year
- 1955
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
]. Usually on dry soils[
212- Title
- A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R.
- Publisher
- The Riverside Press
- Year
- 1963
- ISBN
- 63-7093
- Description
- Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.75 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in much of the country.
It can be assumed that plants will require a moist but well-drained soil in a sunny position.
This is a taxonomically very difficult genus, many of the species now included in it have at times been included in other genera[
60- Title
- Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hitchcock. C. L.
- Publisher
- University of Washington Press
- Year
- 1955
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
].
Edible Uses
Root - raw or cooked[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
]. A staple food for some native North American Indian tribes[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
]. The fresh root is rather like parsnip in flavour, though when the plant dies down the root becomes brittle with an agreeable flavour of celery[
2- Title
- Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Hedrick. U. P.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1972
- ISBN
- 0-486-20459-6
- Description
- Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
95- Title
- Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Saunders. C. F.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- 0-486-23310-3
- Description
- Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.
]. The root can also be dried and ground into a powder for use as a flavouring in soups etc[
61- Title
- A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Usher. G.
- Publisher
- Constable
- Year
- 1974
- ISBN
- 0094579202
- Description
- Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
95- Title
- Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Saunders. C. F.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- 0-486-23310-3
- Description
- Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.
,
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
,
161- Title
- Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Yanovsky. E.
- Publisher
- U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
- Year
-
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
].
Seed - ground into a powder or eaten raw[
106- Title
- The Dictionary of Useful Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Coon. N.
- Publisher
- Rodale Press
- Year
- 1975
- ISBN
- 0-87857-090-x
- Description
- Interesting reading but short on detail.
]. An aromatic flavour, it can be used as a flavouring in cooked foods.
Flowers and upper leaves can be used as a flavouring in salads, soups etc[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
An infusion of the flowers and upper leaves has been used in the treatment of colds and sore throats[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed can be rather slow to germinate, when sown in the spring it usually takes at least 12 months to germinate. Giving it a period of cold stratification might reduce this time. The seedlings need to be pricked out into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and should be planted out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Fresh seed can be sown immediately in situ.
Division may be possible in spring or autumn.
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
