Lomatium (dissectum)

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

---

Family Scientific Name:	Apiaceae
Family Common Name:	Parsley
Scientific Name:	Lomatium dissectum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance multifidum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance
Common Name:	Fern-leaf Desert parsley
Species Code:	LODIM
Ecotype:	Paradise Creek drainage near Pullman, WA
General Distribution:	Southern British Columbia and western US to Montana and south to Colorado and Arizona where mean annual precipitation exceeds 14 inches. In eastern Washington it is usually found in dry areas of grassland and open Ponderosa pine forest.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Time To Grow:	0
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Fruit is a schizocarp. Seed is collected in late June or early July when the inflorescence is dry and the seeds are dark brown in color. Seed can be stripped from the inflorescence or the entire inflorescence can be clipped from the plant. Seed holds well in the inflorescence. Harvested seed is stored in paper bags at room temperature until cleaned. We determined 45,031 seeds/lb for this ecotype.
Propagule Processing:	The inflorescence is rubbed by hand to free the seed, then cleaned with an air column separator. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Extended cold, moist stratification is needed. Cool spring temperatures are also necessary. In trials at the PMC, no germination occurred without stratification. Plants which germinated outdoors died when moved into the greenhouse. Seed planted outside immediately after harvest will germinate the following spring. Seed planted later in the fall will often require 2 winters to germinate. It has not yet been determined whether fresh seed is required for germination the following spring.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	In late August seed is sown in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4 and covered lightly. A thin layer of pea gravel is applied to prevent seeds from floating. Conetainers are watered deeply and placed outside.
Establishment Phase:	Containers remain outside. They are watered during the fall and sparingly during dry spells in the winter and spring. Germination begins in March and may occur over 2-3 weeks.
Length of Establishment Phase:	6-7 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 June.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	3-4 months
Hardening Phase:	Plants usually go dormant in July or August and do not require further hardening
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Plants are stored in the lath house over winter with no protection except snow cover. Regrowth will begin in early March as soon as temperatures begin to warm.
Other Comments:	Seeds spring broadcast into existing grass stands germinated at low rates the following spring and more germinated in the third spring, but total germination was less than 10%. Fall broadcast seedings showed similar results. Some insect damage has been noted in the seed but is usually not extensive. Damaged seed is easily removed with an air column separator.
References:	Hitchcock and Cronquist. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. 1973. USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2004. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Lomatium dissectum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance plants 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.