Lomatium triternatum
| Lomatium triternatum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Lomatium triternatum (common name: nineleaf biscuitroot)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. Stored seed can be rather slow to germinate, when sown in the spring it usually takes at least 12 months to germinate. Giving it a period of cold stratification might reduce this time. The seedlings need to be pricked out into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle, and should be planted out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Fresh seed can be sown immediately in situ[1].
Division may be possible in spring or autumn.
Cultivation: We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in much of the country.
It can be assumed that plants will require a dry to moist but well-drained soil in a sunny position.
This is a taxonomically very difficult genus, many of the species now included in it have at times been included in other genera[2].
Range: Western N. America - Alberta to California.
Habitat: Open slopes and meadows in dry to fairly moist soil at low to moderate elevations[2].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[3]. About the size of peanuts, the roots were a staple food of the local native North American Indian tribes[4]. When roasted it makes an excellent vegetable[4]. It can also be dried and ground into a powder, when it develops a mild sweet flavour[4][5][6][7].
The dried flowers and upper leaves are used as a flavouring in soups and stews[3].
Medicinal: An infusion of the leaves and roots has been used in the treatment of chest complaints[3].
An infusion of the flowers and upper leaves has been used in the treatment of colds and sore throats[3].
Usage: The seed is aromatic and is used as a scent[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: L. platycarpum. (Torr.)Coult.&Rose.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Turner, Nancy. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum, 1979.