USEFUL WILD PLANTS 



flower, the leaves few and grass-like. It is in- 

 digenous to an extensive territory ranging from 

 Dakota to Mexico and westward to the Pacific 

 Coast. It w^as, I believe, a common article of diet 

 among the first Mormons in Utah, under the 

 name "Wild Sago," through a misunderstanding, 

 perhaps, of the word "Sego," w^iich is the Ute 

 Indian term for this plant. A California species 

 (C. venustuSj Benth.) wath white or lilac flowers 

 variously tinged or blotched wdth red, yellow or 

 brown, is also highly esteemed for its sw^eet corms. 

 The cooking may be done by the simple process 

 known to campers of roasting in hot ashes, or by 

 steaming in pits, a method tHat will be described 

 later on. 



Brodiaea is a genus comprising numerous species, 

 of wdiich the so-called California Hyacinth, Grass- 

 nut or Wild Onion {B. caintata, Benth.), common 

 throughout the State, is perhaps the best kno^vn. 

 Its clustered, pale blue flow^ers bunched at the tip of 

 a slender stem are a familiar sight in grassy places 

 in spring. The bulbs are about the size of marbles 

 and noticeably mucilaginous. Eaten raw they seem 

 rather flat at first, but the taste growls on one very 

 quickly. They are also ver}^ good if boiled slowly 

 for a half hour or so. The Harvest Brodiaea (B. 



20 



