Biscuitroot, Wyeth biscuitroot
Lomatium ambiguum

Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae

What it is like

Lomatium ambiguum is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). It is in flower in June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.8

Where it is found

Open slopes and flat land up to moderate elevations. Usually on dry soils.

Western N. America - British Columbia and Washington to Montana..

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Root - raw or cooked. A staple food for some native North American Indian tribes. The fresh root is rather like parsnip in flavour, though when the plant dies down the root becomes brittle with an agreeable flavour of celery. The root can also be dried and ground into a powder for use as a flavouring in soups etc. Seed - ground into a powder or eaten raw. An aromatic flavour, it can be used as a flavouring in cooked foods. Flowers and upper leaves can be used as a flavouring in salads, soups etc.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 1

An infusion of the flowers and upper leaves has been used in the treatment of colds and sore throats.

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

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 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.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. 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. Division may be possible in spring or autumn.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 0-0

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Cogswelia ambigua. Peucedanum ambiguum.