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Nevada Biscuitroot

Scientific Name:

Lomatium nevadense

Type:

Herbaceous Plant

Habitat:

Rocky slopes and mesas in desert scrub, sagebrush, and woodlands

Range:

Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico

Status:

Apparently Secure (NatureServe)

This species is

NATIVE

to the Truckee Meadows.

Identification:

One of northern Nevada’s earliest blooming plants, this ground hugging plant is easy to overlook as it is not very showy. The gray-green leaves are finely divided and lie close to the ground. The tiny, white, five-petaled flowers are clustered together on the end of a flower stalk. There is sometimes a touch of red in the center of the flower.

Fast Facts:

  • Nevada biscuitroot has a long taproot which was eaten by the Northern Paiute; they ate the roots raw like radishes or cooked them in sand.

  • “From a distance you might think these prostrate flower umbels were just more patches of snow, but what a delight to discover that they are, instead, spring’s floral messengers!” - Laird R Blackwell

  • Here in the Truckee Meadows, Nevada biscuitroot can be found at Huffaker Hills, Hidden Valley, and Lower Thomas Creek Trail.

Sources:

Contributor(s):

Emma Wynn (research, content, and photo)

Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)

Last Updated:

May 12, 2021 at 9:50:40 PM

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