A PARASITIC PLANT — THACKERY AND OILMAN 415 



A. B. Gray near Adair Bay, or Pinacate Mountain, in the State of 

 Sonora, Mexico, in May, 1851. On this occasion he had with him a 

 Papago Indian chief, who gathered some of this plant and roasted it 

 on the coals of his camp fire. In describing its food value, Colonel 

 Gray says : 



We encnmpod for the nisht in the sand hills, and the chief, Instead of sup- 

 ping with us as usual, made a fire and roasted his roots or plants on the hot 

 coals (which took about 120 minutes), and commenced eating them. None of 

 the party seemed inclined to taste, but out of curiosity I moved over to the 

 chiefs Are, and he hajidi>d me one. At llrst I ate but little and slowly, but 

 in a few minutes so luscious was it that I forgot my own mess and nte 

 heartily of it; next morning each of the party "followed suit," and after- 

 wards there was scarcely enough gathered to satisfy us. The taste, though 

 peculiar, was not unlike the sweet potato, but more delicate. 



We liked it better raw than cooked ; hoAvever, we did not try it 

 roasted on coals as described by Colonel Gray. We found it quite 

 palatable and apparently nutritious. Gray, Palmer, and Lumholtz 

 agree that when roasted on the coals Indian fashion it resembles 

 the sweet potato in taste. 



Mr. Carl Lumholtz, who many years later found this same plant 

 at about the same locality, says of it : 



I sampled one of them and found it to be a succulent and excellent food. 

 It is more tender than a radish, as well as much more Juicy, and the whole root 

 can be eaten. It has a ."sweetish and agreeable flavor all its own. The Indians 

 usually toast these plants on the coals, when they resemble sweet potatoes 

 In taste, but I prefer to eat them raw. They are an especially delicious 

 relish to a thirsty man, and they also quickly appease hunger; in fact, of all 

 the many kinds of edible roots that I have tried in their uncooked state, use<l 

 among natives in different parts of the earth, I know of none which can com- 

 pare with this one in refreshing and palatable qualities. 



On the occasion of Colonel Gray's discovery of this plant, May 17, 

 1854, he says: 

 No rain had fallen there for six months, it being the dry season. 



Mr. Lumholtz visited this same locality in March, 1910, and he 

 says: 



I had heard much of this plant for even the Mexicans relish the camote of 

 the medanos. as they call it, but the iiast rainless winter had held out little 

 hope that my desire to see it would be realized. 



From this it would appear that both Gray and Lumholtz found 

 considerable numbers of this plant following very dry seasons. Mr. 

 Lumholtz further indicates that the plant in the Pinacate region is 

 availal)le to the Indians as food through the whole year for in speak- 

 ing of the "Sand-dune Papago Indians" he says: 



They found good e<lible plant food in the dune.s, especially Aramobroma 

 sonorae. the wonderful camotes which the Indians knew how to gather nil 

 Ihe year round, thcjugh after May that part of the plant which is above RrouiKl 

 withers away. 



