Lomatium latilobum
Encyclopedia
Lomatium latilobum is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family
known by the common names Canyonlands lomatium and Canyonlands biscuitroot. It is native to an area straddling the border between Utah
and Colorado
in the United States, where several of its few occurrences are within Arches National Park
and Colorado National Monument
.
This perennial herb grows 10 to 30 centimeters tall from a caudex
covered in the withered remains of previous seasons' leaves. The leaves are divided into a few pairs of lance-shaped or oval leaflets up to 1.2 centimeters wide. The inflorescence
is an umbel
of many tiny yellow flowers. Blooming occurs in April through June. The plant has a strong scent reminiscent of lemon
and licorice.
This plant grows in sandy crevices in Navajo Sandstone
and other sandstone
s. The habitat is pinyon-juniper woodland
, desert scrub, and other types of plant communities.
There are an estimated 12 to 17 occurrences of this plant, but some are based on historical collections which might not be extant. Some are officially protected within national park and national monument territory, but still face threats from people engaging in recreational activity such as hiking; the plants do not tolerate disturbance and are easily uprooted.
Apiaceae
The Apiaceae , commonly known as carrot or parsley family, is a group of mostly aromatic plants with hollow stems. The family is large, with more than 3,700 species spread across 434 genera, it is the sixteenth largest family of flowering plants...
known by the common names Canyonlands lomatium and Canyonlands biscuitroot. It is native to an area straddling the border between Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the United States, where several of its few occurrences are within Arches National Park
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations....
and Colorado National Monument
Colorado National Monument
- Trails :The Monument contains many hiking trails, with lengths and difficulties to suit all tastes. Summer storms can cause flash floods as well as dangerous trail conditions. Rattlesnakes are found on the Monument, and rough terrain exists everywhere, but most trails are well-maintained...
.
This perennial herb grows 10 to 30 centimeters tall from a caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
covered in the withered remains of previous seasons' leaves. The leaves are divided into a few pairs of lance-shaped or oval leaflets up to 1.2 centimeters wide. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is an umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
of many tiny yellow flowers. Blooming occurs in April through June. The plant has a strong scent reminiscent of lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
and licorice.
This plant grows in sandy crevices in Navajo Sandstone
Navajo Sandstone
Navajo Sandstone is a geologic formation in the Glen Canyon Group that is spread across the U.S. states of northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, and Utah; as part of the Colorado Plateau province of the United States...
and other sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s. The habitat is pinyon-juniper woodland
Pinyon-juniper woodland
A Pinyon-juniper woodland is a forest type characteristic of many parts the Western United States, often in higher elevations of desert ecoregions.-Locations:...
, desert scrub, and other types of plant communities.
There are an estimated 12 to 17 occurrences of this plant, but some are based on historical collections which might not be extant. Some are officially protected within national park and national monument territory, but still face threats from people engaging in recreational activity such as hiking; the plants do not tolerate disturbance and are easily uprooted.