Lomatium martindalei
Cascade biscuit-root, Cascade desert-parsley, Coast Range lomatium, few-fruit lomatium, martindale's lomatium
arising at slightly different heights, not forming just 1 rosette, blue-green, 0–1-ternate-1–2-pinnate;
petiole sheathing basally to entire length, not shiny, glabrous;
blade broadly ovate to elliptic, (2–)3–15 × 1.5–7.1 cm, surfaces glabrous or scaberulous on margins and veins abaxially, outline of leaf blade tip usually obtuse to rounded;
penultimate segments broad, more than 2 mm wide; ultimate segments 32–300(–500), broadly triangular to ovate, greatly confluent, 0.8–3.2 × 0.6–2 mm, relatively wide, length/width ratio 1–3.5(–5), margins entire, apex usually obtuse or rounded, sometimes acute, callus tips 0–0.1 mm, firm but not spinelike, terminal segment 0.8–2.2 mm;
cauline leaves 0–4, if present, with more than 5 ultimate segments, similar to basal leaves.
absent or subterranean.
1–8 per plant, 1(–3) per stem, ascending to erect, not inflated, 2–20(–30) cm, exceeding leaves, 1–2 mm wide 1 cm below umbel, glabrous or sparsely scabrous on margins.
(0.6–)1.2–5 cm wide in flower, (1.8–)2.2–7 cm wide in fruit, rays 3–16(–27), spreading to ascending or suberect, 0.5–8 cm in fruit, subequal to unequal, usually glabrous;
involucel bractlets 0(–few), distinct, narrowly linear or very short and triangular, inconspicuous, 1–2.5 mm, shorter than pedicels, margins narrowly scarious, not ciliate, entire, glabrous.
petals white, cream, or ochroleucous, or yellow, glabrous;
anthers white or yellow;
ovary and young fruit glabrous.
2–10(–15) mm, shorter than fruit, spreading to erect when fruit is mature.
dorsiventrally compressed, narrowly oblong to broadly elliptic or ± diamond-shaped, (6–)8–16 × 2.4–6.6 mm, length/width ratio 1.7–3.9;
wings 1.1–2.1 mm wide (35–)50–85% of body width, paler than body;
abaxial ribs raised and winglike but much narrower than lateral wings;
apex usually rounded or obtuse to truncate;
oil ducts 1(–2) in intervals, 2(–4) on commissure, conspicuous.
= 22.
Lomatium martindalei
Lomatium martindalei is common in and west of the Cascade Range, from southwestern British Columbia to Del Norte and Siskiyou counties, California. Plants vary in leaflet shape, petal color, and fruit width and therefore shape. The narrowest-leaved forms are confused with L. hallii and the widest with L. howellii, although they lack the spinelike leaflet tips of the latter species.
Three varieties are often recognized in L. martindalei, although the variation is more complex than that and a taxonomic oddity confuses things further. Two varieties with white to ochroleucous petals have been called var. martindalei and var. angustatum. In theory, var. martindalei has broader fruits, mostly 1.5–2 times as long as wide, and grows from California north to Mt. Hood, Oregon, and Skamania County, Washington. Variety angustatum has narrower fruits, mostly 2–3 times as long as wide, occurs in the Cascade Range from British Columbia south to Lane County, Oregon. Unfortunately, sheets of the same collection (Howell s.n., 1880, US) were used as the type collection for both names. These sheets may not represent a single population; Howell collected extensive series for sale. The third variety, var. flavum, has yellow petals and grows on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. However, forms with yellow petals also occur on coastal bluffs elsewhere, as well as some subalpine sites in the Cascade Range. It is unclear if the populations outside the Olympic Peninsula should be considered var. flavum. More likely, they are occasional yellow forms of var. martindalei or var. angustatum. Certain leaflet variants have been said to be associated with particular petal colors or seed shapes, but this does not appear to be true. The described variation is real, but at this point, the three varieties do not represent consistently useful taxonomic units.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
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USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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