About Lomatium grayi (J.M.Coult. & Rose) J.M.Coult. & Rose
Lomatium grayi (J.M.Coult. & Rose) J.M.Coult. & Rose, commonly known as Lomatium grayi, has hairless stems that split at the ground, plus a long, thick taproot. Its dark green leaves are divided into many small segments. It blooms between March and July, producing 1 to 20 compound umbel flower clusters, each holding hundreds of yellow flowers, carried on leafless stalks. Its fruit is hairless, elliptic in shape, 8 to 15 millimeters long, with lateral wings that are roughly half as wide as the main body of the fruit. This plant has a strong scent similar to parsley. There are two recognized varieties of this species: Lomatium grayi var. depauperatum (M.E. Jones) Mathias, which is endemic to northeastern Nevada and northwestern Utah, and Lomatium grayi var. grayi. The Northern Paiute people of Oregon historically used this plant as a food source: new, tender stems were eaten raw, and the roots served as a winter starvation food.
