Common name:
Mojave desert parsley
Family:
Scientific name:
Lomatium mohavense
Main flower color:
Range:
The Mojave Desert, and some adjoining areas (AZ, CA, NV)
Height:
Between 4 and 16 inches
Habitat:
Varied; woodland, scrubland, hillsides, desert plains; 3,000 to 6,500 feet
Leaves:
Ovate in outline, up to 4 inches long, pinnately divided 3 or 4 times into tiny linear segments
Season:
April to May
Flower color of lomatium mohavense ranges from yellow to purple to brown. Leaves are greyish-green, and finely, pinnately divided 3 or 4 times into tiny lobes, around 1/8 of an inch long. The length of the leafy portion of the stalk is between 1 and 4 inches, generally slightly shorter than the petiole. Plants have no stem; the stalks of both leaves and flowers grow from the base. Flower stalks are thick and rigid, and like the leaves they have a covering of soft, short, light grey hairs.
Like all lomatium species, the inflorescence is a compound umbel, with 8 to 18 umbellets held on stalks (rays) up to 2 inches long. Flowers have five protruding stamens, topped by yellow-white anthers. Fruits are ovate in outline, glabrous or covered by short hairs, and have a pair of prominent wings, each about the same width as the central portion.
Like all lomatium species, the inflorescence is a compound umbel, with 8 to 18 umbellets held on stalks (rays) up to 2 inches long. Flowers have five protruding stamens, topped by yellow-white anthers. Fruits are ovate in outline, glabrous or covered by short hairs, and have a pair of prominent wings, each about the same width as the central portion.
All Contents © Copyright The American Southwest | Comments and Questions | Contribute | Site Map