Lomatium gormanii, with the common names Gorman's biscuitroot and salt & pepper,[1] is a perennial herb of the family Apiaceae.[2] It is endemic to the Northwestern United States, in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington,[2] being found in steppes and montane environments.[1] It is called sasamít̓a, sasamít̓aya, and łałamít̓a in the Sahaptin language.

Lomatium gormanii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Lomatium
Species:
L. gormanii
Binomial name
Lomatium gormanii
(Howell) J.M.Coult. & Rose

The species is only a few inches tall and flowers before many in the sagebrush steppe, sometimes when the ground is still covered in snow.[1] Its condimental common name refers to the darkness of the dark violet anthers and the white petals.[1] The leaves are divided and narrow.[1]

Lomatium gormanii is easily confused with Lomatium piperi (Sahaptin mámɨn), but L. gormanii lacks stem leaves and the roots are generally larger and 'hairier' (i.e., many more rootlets) than L. piperi.[3] L. gormanii is also more common and grows in places where L. piperi does not.[3][4]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 94. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
  2. ^ a b NRCS. "Lomatium gormanii". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  3. ^ a b Burke Herbarium Image Collection| http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Lomatium%20gormanii
  4. ^ Personal communication from botanist Dave Corliss
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