THE CAMASSIA 273 



by gophers before opportunity was had to save 

 the seed. The interest of the brodiaeas in the 

 present connection hinges on the fact that the 

 plants have bulbs or corms that when cooked are 

 very acceptable as food. Several of the species, 

 especially the Brodicea lactea, are relished by the 

 Indians, and are often dug and eaten by children. 

 The bulbs of some species contain a very high 

 percentage of starch, probably greater than that 

 of the potato. 



I have worked on the Brodicea lactea to in- 

 crease the size of the bulbs. When growing wild 

 the bulbs are only about half an inch in diameter. 

 By selective breeding, varieties have been orig- 

 inated that will produce bulbs two inches or more 

 in diameter. The plants can be grown almost as 

 thickly as lawn grass, and it is probable that the 

 yield per acre of the bulbs could be made to equal 

 a good crop of potatoes though at a greater 

 expense. 



In developing the brodiaea for this purpose, it 

 would be well to search carefully for bulbs that 

 grow to unusual size in the wild state — there is 

 considerable variation in this regard. 



The brodiaea is well worth cultivating for its 

 flowers alone, and it would appear that the plant 

 offers possibilities of combining flower produc- 

 tion with the production of valuable food. Un- 



