Cook's lomatium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cook's lomatium |
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Selineae
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L. cookii
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| Lomatium cookii J.S.Kagan
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Lomatium cookii is a very rare flowering plant. It is part of the carrot family. People often call it Cook's lomatium or agate desertparsley.
This plant is found only in Oregon in the United States. It grows in just two special valleys there. Because it is so rare, the government has listed it as an endangered species. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever.
Scientists first found Lomatium cookii in 1981. They were actually looking for another rare plant at the time. It was officially named a new species in 1986. This plant only grows in the Agate Desert in Jackson County. It also lives in the Illinois Valley in Josephine County. Both areas are in southwestern Oregon.
Lomatium cookii likes to grow in places that are wet for part of the year. These include areas called vernal pools. Vernal pools are shallow ponds that fill with water in the wet season. They dry up later in the year. The plant also grows on nearby small hills and wet floodplains. One group of these plants even lives near the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. Here, soil was moved to create conditions similar to vernal pools. Other plants that live in these wet areas include woolly meadowfoam and water foxtail. You might also find annual hairgrass, California oatgrass, and clusterlilies.
Description
This plant is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows between 10 and 50 centimeters tall. That's about 4 to 20 inches. Its leaves grow around the bottom of the stem. Each leaf can be up to 17 centimeters long. They are divided into many small, thin parts.
The plant's flowers grow in a special shape called an umbel. This looks like an umbrella. It has clusters of yellow flowers on several branches that point upwards. The fruit is about one centimeter long. It is half a centimeter wide. The fruit has thick, corky wings along its sides.
Endangered Species
Lomatium cookii was added to the Endangered Species List in 2002. It is endangered because it is very rare. Also, its natural home is being destroyed or damaged. Vernal pools were once common in Oregon. Now, most of them have disappeared.
People have used the land for many things. This includes farms, areas for animals to graze, and places for homes. Factories and shops have also taken over land. Even land not directly destroyed has changed. Its natural water flow no longer supports the vernal pool ecosystems.
Roads and parking lots made of blacktop create runoff. This changes how water moves. Also, irrigation and ditches move water differently. This affects the plant's habitat. The land has also been cut into smaller pieces by roads and buildings. This is called habitat fragmentation. It makes it harder for plants to spread. In 2002, only 15 places with this plant were known in Jackson County. There were 21 known places in Josephine County.
