Lomatium gormanii aka Gorman's Biscuitroot

Lomatium gormanii, or Gorman's biscuitroot, belongs to the carrot family, Apiaceae. It is a perennial native to the northwestern United States. Kew places it in a temperate climate. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Its wild sites include open slopes and rocky scablands. It grows in foothills, valleys, and plains, often near sagebrush. These habitats give some context for its proposed garden needs.

This small plant reaches about 0.7 feet [0.2 metres] tall. Its perennial habit means it lives for more than two years. The supplied sources give no mature spread or leaf description. They also give no details of bark, stems, or fruit. Its flowers have both male and female organs. Insects pollinate them, and the plant is self-fertile. The sources do not state its flower colour or bloom season.

Plants For A Future lists it for cultivated beds. It needs sun and does not grow in shade. The source lists sandy, loamy, and clay soils as suitable. Water must drain well, whichever soil type is used. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil. It also accepts dry or moist soil. However, the source stresses that cultivation knowledge is limited. Its advice on sun, moisture, and drainage is partly inferred. British hardiness remains untested in that account. Its native range suggests outdoor growth may succeed across much of Britain.

Seed offers one route to raising new plants. The source recommends sowing fresh seed when it ripens. A cold frame is one option for this sowing. Fresh seed may also go straight into its final site. Stored seed can take much longer to sprout. Spring sowings may need at least a full year. A cold treatment may help shorten that wait. Move seedlings into separate pots once large enough to handle. The source suggests planting them out in summer. Division may work in spring or autumn, but remains uncertain.

The root is the recorded edible part. Dried root can be milled for use in food. The powder can thicken soups or join cereal flour for bread. Plants For A Future gives food use three out of five. It records no known medicinal or other uses. It lists no known hazards and no weed potential. That hazard entry does not establish safety for people or pets. The supplied evidence names no pests or diseases.