CAMAS'SIA ESCULEN'TA. 
ESCULENT CAMASSIA. 
Class. Order. 
HEXANDRIA. MONOGVNIA. 
Natural Order. 
ASPHODELACE^E. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration . 
In trod need 
Columbia. 
1| feet. 
July. 
Perennial. 
in 1827. 
No. 719. 
This plant is called Quamash, by the north-west 
American Indians,and was published by Rafinesqiie, 
in his Medical Flora, as Quamassia esculenta. The 
plant having subsequently been introduced to the 
London Florticultural Society, Dr. Lindley altered 
the spelling to Camassia. 
It is a vegetable of the first importance to the 
Inhabitants of some parts of North America; for, 
according to Pursh, its bulbs are collected by the 
native Indians, and laid up as a portion of their 
winter store. They prepare them for eating by 
baking them between hot stones, which gives them 
an agreeable taste, and the appearance of baked 
pears. The Scilla esculenta was formerly supposed 
to be the Quamash of the North American Indians, 
but Douglas determined it to be the present plant, 
which he found in profusion on the banks of the 
Columbia. 
It is a strikingly handsome plant ; its Howers pos- 
sess so remarkably rich a colour, heightened by a 
sparkling cuticle, that it will, doubtless, become a 
favourite. It is perfectly hardy, may be planted 
in any light garden soil, and increased by offsets. 
