Lomatium (triternatum)

Dave Skinner PMC Farm Manager USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Room 211A Hulbert Hall WSU Pullman, Washington 99164-6211 509-335-9689 509-335-2940 (fax) abbie@wsu.edu http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/wapmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Apiaceae
Family Common Name:	Parsley
Scientific Name:	Lomatium triternatum (Pursh.) Coult. & Rose
Common Synonym:	Cogswellia triternata (Pursh.) M.E. Jones
Common Name:	Nine-leaf Desert Parsley
Species Code:	LOTR2
Ecotype:	Paradise Creek Drainage near Pullman, WA
General Distribution:	Dry to mesic open areas of western North America from southern British Columbia to northern California and east to Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. In eastern Washington it is commonly found in shrub-steppe, meadow-steppe, and open ponderosa pine forests. Mean annual precipitation range is from 8-20 inches (USDA NRCS 2007).
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	10 cu. in.
Time To Grow:	18 Months
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Fruit is a schizocarp splitting to 2 mericarps (seeds). Seed is collected in late June or early July when the inflorescence is dry and before the seeds shatter. Seed ripening within each individual umbel is uniform, but is less so between umbels on the same or different plants. The seeds are tan in color. Seed can be stripped from the inflorescence or the entire inflorescence can be clipped from the plant. Harvested seed is stored in paper bags at room temperature until cleaned.
Propagule Processing:	The inflorescence is rubbed by hand to free the seed, then cleaned with an air column separator. Larger amounts are cleaned with air screen equipment. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity. We determined 63,812 seeds/lb or 141 seeds/gram for this ecotype.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Extended cold, moist stratification is needed. Cool spring temperatures may also be necessary. Unpublished data from trials conducted at the Pullman Plant Materials Center showed no germination occurred without stratification and no seed germinated after 30 days cold, moist stratification. High germination was obtained from seeds sown in containers in November and left outside under cool, fluctuating spring temperatures. Seed began emerging in late March. Seedlings which germinated outside died when moved into the greenhouse. We did not determine whether warm greenhouse temperatures or root pathogens were the cause.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	In November seed is sown in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4 and covered lightly. A thin layer of coarse grit is applied to the top of the planting soil to prevent seeds from floating during watering. Conetainers are watered deeply and placed outside.
Establishment Phase:	Containers remain outside. They are watered only during dry spells. Emergence will begin as daytime temperatures warm in March, and may occur over 2-4 weeks.
Length of Establishment Phase:	3-4 months
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are watered as needed while outside and fertilized once a week with a water soluble, complete fertilizer. They are moved to the lath house in early June. Growth does not occur during the summer months and the plants may senesce. Fertilizer is withheld in July and conetainers are watered only enough to prevent complete drying.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	4 months
Hardening Phase:	Since the plants are grown outside, additional hardening is not needed.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Plants are stored in the lath house over winter. They should be afforded some protection from extreme cold temperatures. Mulch or foam sheets provide sufficient protection. The protection should be removed in late winter or early spring as temperatures begin to rise. Regrowth will begin in early March as soon as temperatures begin to warm. Rodents may be active under mulches and overwintering plants should be protected from them.
Other Comments:	Some insect damage to seed has been noted but it is usually not extensive. Damaged seed can easily be removed with an air column separator. A few plants will flower the year following outplanting, but most require 2 years in the field to produce seed. Plants will go dormant during the warm parts of the summer. Rodents will feed on the caudex over winter and may kill the plants. Plants are andromonoecious, having both perfect and staminate flowers. The proportion of staminate flowers increases in later flowering umbels. Dispersed seeds are consumed by ground beetles and small mammals (Thompson 1985). The roots of some Lomatium species are edible but others are unpalatable. The lomatiums are also know as biscuit-roots.
References:	Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 730 pp. Larrison, Earl J., Grace W. Patrick, William H. Baker, and James A. Yaich. 1974. Washington Wildflowers. The Seattle Audubon Society. Seattle, WA. 376 pp. Lyons, C.P. 1997. Wildflowers of Washington. Lone Pine Publishing, Renton, WA. 192 pp. Piper, C.V., and R.K. Beattie. 1914. The Flora of Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho. Lancaster, PA. Press of the New Era Printing Company. 296 p. Rickett, Harold W. 1973. Wildflowers of the United States: The Central Mountains and Plains. Vol. 6. (3 parts). McGraw Hill, New York. St. John, Harold. 1963. Flora of Southeastern Washington and of Adjacent Idaho. 3rd edition. Outdoor Pictures. Escondido, CA. 583 pp. Taylor, Ronald J. 1992. Sagebrush Country. Mountain Press Publishing Co. Missoula, MT. 211 pp. Thompson, John N. 1985. Postdispersal Seed Predation in Lomatium spp. (Umbelliferae): Variation Among Individuals and Species. Ecology 66:1608-1616. USDA NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 8 March 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2007. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Lomatium triternatum (Pursh.) Coult. & Rose plants 10 cu. in.; USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Pullman, Washington. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.