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Lomatium cous - (Watson.)Coult.&Rose.

Biscuitroot

Author	(Watson.)Coult.&Rose.	Botanical references	60
Family	Umbelliferae	Genus	Lomatium
Synonyms	Lomatium montanum - Coult.&Rose.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Western N. America.
Habitat	Dry often open rocky slopes and flats, often with sagebrush, especially in foothills and lowland, occasionally above the treeline[60].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root; Seed.

Root - raw or cooked[257. It is usually peeled before being eaten[257]. The root can be dried and ground into a powder and then be mixed with cereal flours or added as a flavouring to soups etc[46, 61, 95, 105]. When dug up in the spring it has a parsnip-like flavour[161]. Seed[106]. No more details are given, though it is most likely used as an aromatic flavouring in cooked foods[K].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

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 dry to moist but well-drained soil in a sunny position. Polymorphic[60]. This is a taxonomically very difficult genus, many of the species now included in it have at times been included in other genera[60].

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.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Alternative Root Crops.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
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] Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976 ISBN 0-486-23310-3
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to 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.

[106] Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975 ISBN 0-87857-090-x
Interesting reading but short on detail.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. 0
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Alternative Root Crops

Steve Northway Sat Aug 1 2009

I have seeds of Lomatiun californicum (More celery-er than Lomatium cous and Perideridia gairdneri. Let me know if you're interested in growi tell you my propagation experiences with these species. ng them and I'll

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