Flower:

Flowers are in a flat to dome-shaped cluster (umbel), 2/3 to 1+ inches (1.6 to 3 cm) diameter, at the tip of a long, finely hairy stalk arising from a leaf axil, each umbel made up of 4 to 16+ smaller clusters (umbellets), each umbellet tightly packed with up to 30 tiny flowers. Flowers have 5 white to pinkish petals that are tightly curled in to the center, and 5 longer stamens protruding from the center tipped with white to deep purplish-pink anthers. At the base of each cluster are usually 4 to 10 hairless, lance-linear bracts up to 1/6 inch (1.5 to 4 mm) long, though bracts may be absent altogether.

Leaves and stems:

Leaves are mostly basal, forming an irregular rosette, sometimes with a single stem leaf sheathing the stem. Leaves are lance to egg-shaped in outline, 1 to 4+ inches (2.5 to 11 cm) long, 3/8 to 2¾ inches (1 to 7 cm) wide, 2 or 3 times compound, the leaflets divided into narrow segments creating a lacy, fern-like appearance. Color is blue-green to gray-green from fine, soft hairs. Stems are short, spreading to ascending to erect, covered in fine, soft hairs and often tinged purple.

Fruit:

The umbels can expand to nearly twice their flowering width as fruit develops. Fruit is a dry seed, up to ~3/8 inch (5 to 10 mm) long, compressed oval-elliptic, with a few distinct ribs and a pale wing .6 to 1.6 mm wide all along the outer edge.

Notes:

Biscuitroot is widespread in the Great Plains and reaches the eastern edge of its range in Minnesota, with most populations concentrated in or near the Minnesota River Valley. The first collection in the state was in 1890 from a prairie near Appleton in Swift County. While not considered rare here, it is by no means common as it is found only in dry prairie and rock outcrop habitats, which have diminished greatly in both quantity and quality due to agriculture, fire suppression, invasive species and gravel mining. Even where it is known to exist, it is often missed due to its very early flowering period, after which it quickly sets seed and goes dormant for the season, well before most hikers and plant explorers are out and about in the field. I consider it a true harbinger of spring, even beating Pasqueflower to the punch. And as one of the earliest spring bloomers on the prairie, it is an important food source for pollinators emerging from their winter slumber.