Cymopterus terebinthinus is a perennial plant in the carrot family Apiaceae with leaves that look like parsley and grows in the Great Basin of the American West. Common names include Aromatic spring-parsley, northern Indian parsnip, and turpentine cymopterus.
Name Cymopterus means "wavy wing", referring to the fruit. Terebinthinus ('of turpentine') refers to the pungent smell of the plant's oil.
Description Growth pattern It is a low growing perennial plant from tall, spreading out from a woody base.
Leaves and stems Leaves are long. Leaves are ovate overall, but finely pinnately dissected into segments like parsley leaves. Leaves are strongly aromatic when crushed. "Terebinthus" means "like-turpentine", referring to the scented oils in the plant.
Inflorescence and fruit The inflorescence is a peduncle with 3-24 rays, each long, bearing minuscule 5-petaled yellow flowers.
Distribution and habitat It grows on dry, sandy or rocky slopes, typically around rocks, from in sagebrush steppe and montane plant communities of the Great Basin. It can be found in the Toiyabe Range and Deep Creek Mountains.
Ecology It is a host for Papilio indra.Tips on Collecting and Rearing Immatures of 375 Butterfly and Skipper Taxa (pdf), The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Society, 2-1-2010.
Some Plateau Indian tribes chewed the roots to treat colds and sores.
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