Appearance
Individuals of this species are 10–40 cm tall, hairy, erect herbs with solitary or few stems that are attached to 10 inch deep fibrous roots. The leaves are green and alternately arranged into 7 to 11 pinnately divided entire leaflets. The blades of the leaves are about 10 cm wide and 15 cm long. The flowers are sub-dichotomously branched and lay closer to the ground below the leaves . However, a dwarf form of this plant occurs in northern Oregon and southern Washington where the flower heads are on long stalks above the leaves .
Distribution
''Hydrophyllum capitatum'' naturally occurs in the western region of the United States as well as Alberta and British Columbia in Canada.Habitat
''Hydrophyllum capitatum'' grows in areas that are rather barren and dry to shady environments in fine or medium textured soil. This plant tends to grow in open woodlands and slopes. It is salinity intolerant and lives in an environment that ranges in pH from 6.4 to 7.8. The ballhead waterleaf is a perennial plant adapted to a precipitation zone that ranges from 16 to 30 inches/yr and a minimum temperature of -28 Fahrenheit.Food
The Indians and settlers cooked the leaves and the roots of plants belonging to the genus ''Hydrophyllum'', which includes the ballhead waterleaf, for greens.References:
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