Perideridia montana

Perideridia gairdneri, also called Gairdner's yampah, common yampah, or Gardner's yampah is a flowering plant in the Apiaceae family.

Taxonomy

• Plantae – Plants
• Subkingdom - Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
• Superdivision - Spermatophyta – Seed plants
• Division - Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
• Class -Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
• Subclass - Rosidae
• Order - Apiales
• Family - Apiaceae – Carrot family
• Genus - Perideridia
• Species - P. gairdneri

Description

P. gairdneri is a thick, tuberous rooted perennial herb that is slender and hairless. It has solitary, leafy stems, and grows from 40 - 120 cm tall. It has several, well distributed leaves that are once or two times pinnately divided into long, narrow segments. Flowers are white or pink and small, and are united in groups to form one to several compound umbels. Fruits are nearly spherical and slightly flattened, with distinct ribs. Fruits 2 - 3 mm long.

Source: Pojar pg 221

Bloom Period

July to August Source: http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php

Distribution

Occurs from British Columbia to Saskatchewan, south across the Rockies and West Coast, down to Southern California.

Source: http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PEGA3

Habitat

Dry to vernally moist open forest, meadow, or grassy slope. Low to middle elevation.

Source: Pojar 221

Uses

Roots of P. gairdneri were eaten my Straits Salish and other First Peoples groups of the Northwest, and by interior peoples from south central British Columbia, to the great basin. Teh froots were pointed by native people to make flour.

Source: Pojar pg 221