amazing Apiaceae (the umbellifers)

[McDonough]

NARGS member Tim Ingram mentioned his interest in Lomatium, a North American genus of umbellifers. 
See: http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=662.0;topicseen

The plant family Apiaceae is huge, with 347 plant genera, with many species of interest for rock gardens, so let me start up this topic with links to another North American genus, Cymopteris.

I share an enthusiasm for rock-garden-sized Apiaceae, and have long admired both Lomatium and Cymopteris when I've seen them both in photos and during my Western American travels years ago... some are truly superb.  Here are some selected links to photos of Western American species of Cymopteris.

fruiting heads on Cymopteris cinerarius
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0908+0697
flowering Cymopteris cinerarius, fantastic foliage
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0908+0696

Cymopteris gilmanii
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1210+1537

Cymopteris globosus
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0306+0913

Cymopteris multinervatus
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1004+0875

Cymopteris purpurescens
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0310+1410
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0308+0075

Some Apiaceae that I've seen photos of, in places such as Kazakhstan, and in New Zealand and Australia, show these are fantastic foliage plants, with strangely beautiful flowers.

[Hoy]

Really remarkable plants, Mark! I didn't know such treasures existed. Now you have given me a problem - shall I ignore them or look out for seed?! And I have several years to retirement. . . .

[cohan]

I was very pleased to see seedlings of Cymopterus --I think its planosus, but would have to check--they were sown in spring last year, early enough for some cold strat, but maybe not enough-- I got one seedling, which I think didn't survive, so I thought that seed was done for, and didn't even put the pot with others that were overwintering outside.. well, there are at least several coming up now

[Weiser]

I have encountered Cymopterus globosus in it's native haunts. The flowers have rather thick petals very densly packed. The immature fruiting bodies feel like dense, bumpy rubber balls.

[Hoy]

John, what do you call such a plant? Showy? Beautiful? Spectacular? Anyway it is a remarkable plant

[Tim Ingram]

My interest in these plants is being rapidly reignited. Thanks for the images and websites. I have also grown Shoshonea in the past, but didn't look after it well enough. There are some wonderful Mediterranean species adapted to similar but not so winter cold conditions - Athamanta turbith is probably my favourite. Another, Thapsia maxima, has large broad pleated leaves and a football size head of yellow flowers only to about a metre high. It is an extraordinary and fascinating family once you get into it!

[cohan]

I have encountered Cymopterus globosus in it's native haunts. The flowers have rather thick petals very densly packed. The immature fruiting bodies feel like dense, bumpy rubber balls.

seriously cool, and at a glance, un-Apiaceae looking!

Tim, agreed, very cool family
There is another I've been looking at, I think a Lomatium, which is a metre or so tall, plus Anthriscus and others, and I have Heracleum growing naturally here--so they do have lots of appeal/potential besides the regular rock garden

[Weiser]

John, what do you call such a plant? Showy? Beautiful? Spectacular? Anyway it is a remarkable plant

Strangely, remarkably, cool??? Comes to mind.

[Lori S.]

My interest in these plants is being rapidly reignited. Thanks for the images and websites. I have also grown Shoshonea in the past, but didn't look after it well enough. There are some wonderful Mediterranean species adapted to similar but not so winter cold conditions - Athamanta turbith is probably my favourite. !

Fascinating plants being shown!
I can verify that Athamanta turbith ssp. haynaldii is reliably hardy in this zone 3 area, even without snow cover.  I believe Rick grows it in zone 4(?) too.
Shoshonea pulvinata wintered over last year here in a trough... no real record yet, but so far, so good!

[Weiser]

I currently only grow only two Lomatiums but there are many around. I like the short matted types with gray leaves.
 Lomatium austiniae (syn. L. plummerae)

Lomatium nevadense var nevadense. The flowers always look like they have been peppered. It's the dark purple staymens that give this effect.

[cohan]

I currently only grow only two Lomatiums but there are many around. I like the short matted types with gray leaves.
 Lomatium austiniae (syn. L. plummerae)

Lomatium nevadense var nevadense. The flowers always look like they have been peppered. It's the dark purple staymens that give this effect.

Both cool!

[Tim Ingram]

A few umbels flowering in our garden at the moment. Athamanta turbith grows on a raised bed along with Lomatium columbianum, and still stands as my favourite of the family in the garden. I think of it as like a symphony of green and white; simple but very beautiful. Later the small seeds are silvery-grey and attractive in themselves. I was introduced to it at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, where I often went to sell plants.

The second, Laserpitium siler, came on the recommendation of a Landscape Architect friend from Belgium, who used it in his planting schemes. It is a tough plant, used to the severe cold of northern and central Europe, slow to establish but very perennial, and with rather distinctive open heads of flowers and greyish foliage.

Thirdly, probably one of the best plant introductions of recent years, Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing', the black-leaved cow parsley (or Queen Anne's Lace). This self-sows under the apple trees with others such as Aquilegias and Brunnera, and they make a fine picture at the moment, even in one of the driest springs we have had for years.

[cohan]

All nice, the last combination especially
I have some Raven's Wing seedlings, looking forward to seeing them grow up You don't find the Brunnera too vigorous in its selfsowing? a gardener in Manitoba was recently telling a tale of woe regarding all-green leafed seedlings of an expired B 'Jack Frost'....

[Lori S.]

Amazing scenes, Tim!  You have a fabulous garden! 

Mmmm, Lomatium - another genus to try! Thanks for opening our eyes to that one, John!

Cohan, Brunnera macrophylla self sows in moderation here... enough to start giving some seedlings away after a few years.  It's hard to imagine that anyone would find its relatively modest habit excessive though (if I'm interpreting your comment correctly), in comparison to the truly rampant seeding of so many other species!

[cohan]

Cohan, Brunnera macrophylla self sows in moderation here... enough to start giving some seedlings away after a few years.  It's hard to imagine that anyone would find its relatively modest habit excessive though (if I'm interpreting your comment correctly), in comparison to the truly rampant seeding of so many other species!

Good to know, Lori, I haven't grown them, but sort of admired some of the variegated types, at least;
-- the person in Manitoba was giving a warning (coldzone yahoo group, mostly western Canadian members) that this plant must be deadheaded if you were going to grow it at all, or planted by itself far from anything else! I think part of the problem was that the variegated parent died, leaving only green seedlings, and they were coming up in the middle of some more valued plants...lol