Nevada Biscuitroot-Lomatium nevadense

We're going to go back to the early-blooming Carrot Family (Apiaceae) today, and even back to a genus we saw earlier in the week, Lomatium. This low-growing plant is easy to identify with its highly dissected leaves and small form. This beautiful white flower with purple highlights is Nevada Biscuitroot, also called Nevada parsley and Nevada lomatium (Lomatium nevadense). 

I couldn't find much information online about it, but there's a little here.

I also found a similar looking plant with seed pods already forming. By the leaves I first thought it was a lomatium, but after looking carefully at a key and some photos, I think it's more likely to be a cymopterus. I will try to hunt down what it is. I thought the seed pods were interesting enough to include now before I have a definitive identification.

Desert Biscuitroot-Lomatium foeniculaceum var. fimbriatum

After seeing so many nonnatives blooming, I was pleasantly surprised to see a native flower. the flowers on an umbel (sort of like an upside-down looking umbrella with many supports) are characteristic of the Carrot Family (Apiaceae), and this is Desert Biscuitroot (Lomatium foeniculaceum var. fibriatum). Other names are desert parsley and fennel-leaved lomatium.

It's not a very large plant, rarely getting taller than 15 cm. It's an early bloomer, usually appearing in April and May. I first saw it 4/09/09 in pinyon/juniper habitat.

The individual flowers are tiny, but seen together they make a pretty picture.

For more information about desert biscuitroot, click here.