Lomatium, Biscuitroot
Lomatium dissectum. Rare perennial herb native to the Great Basin of the western US. The large taproot is a strong medicinal used traditionally as an antiviral for colds, flus, and epidemics. Of all our native North American herbs, Lomatium has some of the strongest evidence of medical effectiveness. Long used by native peoples in the Great Basin area, it came to the attention of Western medicine during the deadly influenza epidemic of 1920. Doctors noticed that people who used lomatium--both native people and the settlers who learned from them--did not succumb to the deadly virus. Since then, it has been used, treasured, and studied in the prevention and cure of respiratory viruses.
Seeds should be sown outdoors in the fall to early spring, in a well-drained, even rocky location for sprouting as the soil warms in spring. Or put the seeds in a bag of damp peat moss in the fridge for 60 days, then sow into warm soil, 1-2 ft apart. Plants will have lacy leaves to 2 ft, with flower stalks like celery or parsley to 3 ft. 15 seeds.