Fernleaf loveroot, also called fernleaf lovage, osha, wildcelery, 

 and wildparsnip, is one of the most abundant of the western love- 

 roots. It ranges from Idaho and western Montana to Colorado and 

 Utah. It grows in the mountains at moderate to high elevations, 

 extending through the ponderosa pine, aspen, and spruce belts to 

 elevations of approximately 10,000 feet. Like its sister species, this 

 plant prefers moist, fertile soils in grassy parks, meadows, and 

 shady woods, but is also found on drier well-drained soils on the 

 open hillsides. 



Throughout its range fernleaf loveroot is highly prized as a 

 forage plant because of its high palatability. It is an excellent sheep 

 weed, ranks fair to good in palatability for cattle, is also grazed by 

 game animals and to a limited extent by horses. It usually remains 

 green throughout the summer months and is relished as much late 

 in the season as early in the summer. This plant seldom is abun- 

 dant in any one place and, due to its high palatability but relative 

 scarcity, is often referred to as an ice cream plant. 



Fernleaf loveroot is a stout herb, 12 to 40 inches tall, with an 

 abundance of large, finely dissected leaves, whose fernlike character 

 is referred to in the specific name fiticimim. which is derived from 

 the Latin word fiUw, fern. The main stalk of the plant is thick, 

 hollow, and somewhat leafy. The small white flowers are borne in 

 large, compound umbels, often 4 and 5 inches broad. The fruits, or 

 "seeds", grow in pairs but separate w r hen ripe. They are narrowly 

 oblong with, prominent equal ribs, are smooth, without spines or 

 bristles, and have flat or slightly dished inner surfaces where they 

 face each other. 



Porter loveroot (L. por'teri), also called osha and chuchupate, 

 may be regarded as a more southern and coarser-leaved sister species 

 of fernleaf loveroot, to which it is very closely related and similar 

 in forage value and general appearance. It is usually a stouter 

 plant and differs mainly in that the ultimate leaf segments are con- 

 spicuously broader, being lance-shaped to ovate-lance-shaped as con- 

 trasted with the linear leaf divisions of fernleaf loveroot. 



Porter loveroot is the most important Ligusticum in the central 

 Rocky Mountain and southwestern regions. It ranges from Wyo- 

 ming to New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The habitat and alti- 

 tudinal range are similar to those of fernleaf loveroot. In the moun- 

 tains of New Mexico it grows to elevations of over 11,000 feet. In 

 Colorado it is a common and highly valued component of the vege- 

 tation under aspen stands, as well as in weed types of old subalpine 

 spruce burns. 



The aromatic roots of both this species and fernleaf loveroot have 

 a pleasant warm taste and are used in the treatment of coughs, colds, 

 stomach disorders, and other ailments. In the drug trade they are 

 sold under the names of Colorado or Kocky Mountain coughroot and 

 osha. 



