California rock parsnip facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California rock parsnip |
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L. californicum
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| Lomatium californicum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance
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Lomatium californicum is a type of plant that is related to the carrot and the parsnip. People often call it the California rock parsnip, celery weed, or California lomatium.
This plant naturally grows in California and Oregon. You can find it on mountains and hills. It grows at heights from about 150 to 1800 meters (around 490 to 5,900 feet) above sea level.
What Does California Rock Parsnip Look Like?
Lomatium californicum can grow to be about 3 to 12 decimeters tall (which is about 1 to 4 feet). It has blue-green leaves that look a bit like common celery. These leaves have rough edges or are deeply cut into lobes. They even taste similar to celery!
The plant also has yellow flowers. These flowers grow in wide, flat-topped clusters called umbels. Each cluster can be about 1.5 to 3 decimeters (around 6 to 12 inches) across.
How Was This Plant Used?
For a long time, Lomatium californicum has been an important plant for Native American people. They used it both as a food source and as a medicinal plant to help with illnesses.
Traditional Food and Medicine
Different parts of the plant were used by various tribes. For example, the Kawaiisu, Yuki, and Yurok people all used this plant.
The Yuki people would chew parts of the plant while hunting. They believed this helped to hide their scent from deer. This made it easier for them to hunt successfully.
The Chumash people had a special name for it: chuchupaste. This name means "plant of great virtue." They used chuchupaste to help cure headaches and stomach pain.
