Globe Springparsley - Cymopterus globosus

 Well, this was an unexpected find as I was wandering around the desert this morning. I could tell it was in the Apiaceae family, likely a Cymopterus, but I had never seen one before with such a round, ball-like cluster of flowers. Turns out it's not in the Snake Range flora, so it took a bit of searching to track down as globe springparsley (Cymopterus globosus).

 I liked how these plants showed some of the variations in flower (white and pink) and leaf colors (bright green and gray green). This plant only grows in California, Nevada, and Utah, and likes lower elevations. I found these about 5,100 feet elevation.

 A closeup of the flowers/seeds reveals cool patterns.

For more info about globe springparsley, click here.

King's Angelica-Angelica kingii

This pretty member of the Carrot/Parsley Family (Apicaceae) is King's angelica (Angelica kingii). It's native to the Great Basin region.
The stem is hollow, and the plant has a deep taproot.
Note the dentate leaves.
For more info about King's angelica, click here.

Spotted Water Hemlock-Cicuta maculata

This pretty flower that likes to grow by the water is actually very poisonous if eaten. It's spotted water hemlock (Cicuta maculata), a member of the Carrot/Parsley Family (Apiaceae). It can grow 3 to 6 feet tall and the leaves are pinnate or doubly pinnate.

The white flowers are found in umbels about six inches across.

For more information about spotted water hemlock, click here.

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.