Pestle Parsnip, Barestem biscuitroot
Lomatium nudicaule
Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae
What it is like
Lomatium nudicaule is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. 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): 0.6
Where it is found
Dry open or lightly wooded areas at low to moderate elevations
Western N. America - South British Columbia to California.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Root - raw or cooked. The taste is rather like a hot spicy parsnip. The root can be roasted and used as a vegetable, or can be dried and ground into a powder then used as a flavouring in soups etc. Leaves and young shoots - eaten as a vegetable or used as a celery-like flavouring in soups etc. The leaves, stems and flowers are infused and used as a beverage. Seed - raw or cooked. The immature seed is chewed as a refreshing snack and can be used as a flavouring in soups etc. The vitamin C content of young plants is remarkably high, one cup providing more than the recommended daily allowance. (the part of the plant is not referred to, it is probably the leaves)
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The seeds are analgesic, diaphoretic, febrifuge, laxative and pectoral. They have been chewed in the treatment of fevers, colds and sore throats. An infusion has been used by pregnant women to ensure an easy delivery. A poultice of the crushed seeds has been applied to the head to relieve the pain of headaches. The poultice has also been applied to sore places, pains and itches.
Analgesic: Relieves pain.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Vitamin C: Plants good for their vitamin C content
Other
Rating: 2
The seed is spicy and aromatic, it is used as a house fumigant and deodorant. It also repels mosquitoes.
Incense: Aromatic plants that can be burnt to impart a pleasant smell, repel insects and disinfect closed areas.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Requires a sunny position in a fertile well-drained soil. Plants are frost hardy. This is a taxonomically very difficult genus, many of the species now included in it have at times been included in other genera. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down.
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: 6-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist