Porter's wild lovage

Description

Ligusticum porteri, also known as oshá, wild parsnip, Porter’s Lovage or wild celery, is a perennial herb found in parts of the Rocky Mountains and northern New Mexico, especially in the southwestern United States. Oshá is strictly a mountain plant, and it is most commonly found in deep, moist soils rich in organic material. The plant requires partial shade. Oshá is widely distributed in the Rocky Mountains and the high mountains of northwestern New Mexico. It is most common in the upper limits of the subalpine zone, so in the southern part of its range, it grows at elevations from 7,000 feet to 10,000 feet (2100 m to 3000 m), while in Utah and Wyoming, it grows as low as 5,000 feet (1500 m). Oshá is dependent on mycorrhizal fungi, and attempts to artificially cultivate the plant outside of its habitat have not been successful. Cultivation in areas where oshá naturally grows have been more successful. Oshá has the typical appearance of members of the carrot family (apiaceae), with parsley-like leaves and double umbels of white flowers. The bases of the leaves where they attach to the root crowns have a reddish tint which is unique, and the roots are fibrous, with a dark, chocolate-brown, wrinkled outer skin. When this skin is removed, the inner root tissue is fibrous and yellowish-white with an overpowering, pleasant "spicy celery" fragrance that resembles lovage (Levisticum officinale). Oshá roots have a collar of dead leaf material surrounding the root crowns which is hairlike in appearance. The roots dry very quickly and are very astringent when fresh, and can cause blistering of the mouth and mucous membranes in humans if ingested fresh. The dried roots do not have this astringent effect. Roots of older plants are far stronger and bitter than those of younger plants. Oshá plants form large clumps over time, and can grow to be very large. In areas of New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, oshá can reach heights of 6 to 7 feet and produce circular colonies with dozens of root crowns growing from a central root mass. Oshá is best harvested in the afternoon as the plants are relished by bears, which are known to visit the plants during the morning.