Herb: Desert Biscuitroot


Latin name: Lomatium foeniculaceum


Family: Umbelliferae



Edible parts of Desert Biscuitroot:

Root - cooked. It can be dried and ground into a powder and then be mixed with cereal flours or added to soups etc. Seed. No more details are given, though it is most likely used as an aromatic flavouring in cooked foods.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Habitat of the herb:

Dry open slopes, valleys, plains and at moderate elevations. Prairies in calcareous clay soils in Texas.

Propagation of Desert Biscuitroot:

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.

Cultivation of the herb:

Dry open slopes, valleys, plains and at moderate elevations. Prairies in calcareous clay soils in Texas.

Medicinal use of Desert Biscuitroot:

None known

Known hazards of Lomatium foeniculaceum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.