BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 307 



the " Racine amare" of the Canadian voyageur. As it is, to 

 ray knowledge, not as yet accurately described, I shall sub- 



ramis caudatis divergentibus fibrosis. Rkizoma incrassatum squamatum 

 partitum, partibus congestis. Scapi nuraerosi erecti polUcares nudi teretes, 

 basi foliorum cyclo circumdati, superne nodo unico ochreato; ochrea 

 elongata appressa 5-fida membranacea, laciniis tenuissimis. Pedunculus 

 solitarius uniflorus, in ocbream scapi impositus ; teres, superne incras- 

 satus. Calyx pedunculo concretus, persistens, squamis imbricatis, 7, 

 mterioribus majoribus, appressis, amplis, planis; ovalibus obovatisve, 

 rotundatis vel emarginatis, nervosis, membranaceis, viridi-purpureis, post 

 anthesin scariosis. Corolla conspicua, roseo-alba vel purpureo-kerme- 

 sina. Petala in cyclo continuo squamarum receptaculo affixa, solubilia, 

 cue. 17, obovato-lanceolata acutiuscula, interdum obsolete emarginata; 

 mteriora majora, post anthesin in operculum calyptrseforme contorta, 

 fructus obtegentia. Stamina in fasciculos 7-14, unguibus petalorum adnexa, 

 corollam subsequantia. Filamenta tenuia incurvata albo-rosea. Antkeras 

 biloculares, erectaa, lineares, utrinque truncatae, flavo-roseae. Ovarium 

 solitarium ovatum, uniloculare ; stylus unicus. Stigmata sub 7 filiformia ; 

 ovula plurima funiculis longis filiformibus in conum congestis suffulta, 

 8tamina subaequantia rubra. Fructus carpellum convexo-conicura, oper- 

 culo calyptraeformi petalorum contortorum obtectus. Semina lenticularia, 

 m gra, nitida, albuminosa. 



Observ.— Root flexible ; caudex capitate ; scapes and peduncles succu- 

 knt ; leaves green, dying soon off; segments of the ochrea long and 

 lax; peduncle dilated to a receptacle; nerves of the calyx, sepals 

 radiating; petals remaining tender, membranaceous till they twist 

 themselves spirally together, as in Malva; stamens remain with the 

 petals; seeds resemble those of a large Claytonia, situated on long 

 fascicles ; receptacle flat with a fringed circle of a spongy mass from 

 which the fascicles arise ; colour of the flower that of Cereusflagelliformis, 

 hghter or darker ; colour of the scapes and peduncles, with the calyx 

 sepals bright brick-red or paler. 



The Indians, especially the Flathead tribes, value this root highly, and 

 it is with them prepared with the marrow of the bison, the most dainty dish, 

 h has also acquired fame among Europeans, and travellers generally use 

 « in those regions as a very wholesome food, and it is prized in spite 

 of its strong bitter taste, which resembles the bitter of the China-bark. 

 The root is dug during flower-time, when the cuticle is easily removed ; 

 h Y that it acquires a white colour, is brittle, and by transportation 

 broken to small pieces. Before boiling, it is steeped in water, which 

 makes it swell, and after boiling it becomes five to six times larger in 

 Blz e ; resembling a jelly like substance. As it is so small a root, U 



