''Lomatium utriculatum'' is a species of flowering plant in the

carrot family Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus '' Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plan ...

known by the common name common lomatium or spring gold. It is native to western North America from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, where it grows in many types of habitat including

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterrane ...

, and in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

Description

''Lomatium utriculatum'' is a hairless to lightly hairy perennial herb growing up to tall from a slender

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

. The leaves are basal and also grow from the middle and upper sections of the stem, long on a stalk. Each leaf is generally divided and subdivided into many small linear lobes. Leaves higher on the stem have prominent sheaths. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

is a webbed

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' " ...

of yellow flowers with rays up to long, blooming from February to June and expanding to across while in fruit. The fruit is seedlike and long.

Range and Habitat

''Lomatium utriculatum'' is native to western North America from

, where it grows in many types of habitat including

, and in the

. In Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia it is found most often west of the Cascade Mountain crest, unlike most ''Lomatium'' species, which grow in dry areas east of the Cascades.

Uses

This plant was used as a food and medicinal remedy by many Native American groups,Ethnobotany
Accessed 2022-06-26. some of whom ate the fresh leaves raw.

References

External links

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Calflora Database: ''Lomatium utriculatum'' (Bladder parsnip, hog fennel)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Lomatium utriculatum''USDA Plants Profile for ''Lomatium utriculatum'' (common lomatium)UC Photos gallery — ''Lomatium utriculatum''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6669283 utriculatum Flora of the West Coast of the United States Flora of British Columbia Flora of California Flora of the Cascade Range Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Taxa named by John Merle Coulter Flora without expected TNC conservation status