334 
A VOYAGE TO 
1779. 
Oftober. 
U-- 
This fhort account of the vegetable productions reaches 
to fuch parts of the country only as fell within our notice. 
In the neighbourhood of the Kamtfchatka River, where (as 
has been obferved) both the foil and climate is by much the 
belt in the whole peninfula, garden Culture is attended to, 
and probably with great fuccefs, as appears from our having 
received, at the fame time with the fecond drove of cattle 
from Verchnei, a prefent of cucumbers, of very large fine 
turnips, celery, and fome other garden-fluff, of which I do 
not recoiled! the kinds. 
There are two plants, which, from the great ufe made of 
them, merit a particular mention and defcription. The firft 
is called by the natives the faranne ; and by botanifls, Lilt- 
um Kamtjkatienfe flore atro rubente *. The item is about 
the thicknefs of that of the tulip, and grows to the height 
of five inches, is of a purple colour toward the bottom, and 
green higher up, and hath, growing from it, two tier of 
leaves of an oval figure, the lower confifiing of three leaves, 
the uppermofl of four, in the form of a crofs : from the top 
of the flalk grows a fingle flower, of an exceedingly dark 
red colour, in fhape refembling the flower of the narciffus, 
only much fmaller: from the centre of the flower, rifes a 
flyle of a triangular form, and obtufe at the end, which is 
furrounded by fix white jlamina , wdiofe extremities are yel¬ 
low. The root is of the bulbous kind, and refembles, in 
fhape, that of garlic, being much of the fame fize, but 
rounder, and having, like that, four or five cloves hanging 
together. The plant grows wild, and in confiderable abun¬ 
dance : the women are employed in colledting the roots at 
the beginning of Auguft, which are afterward dried in the 
fun, and then laid up for ufe. On our . fecond arrival, this 
* Gmelin, p. 41. Steller enumerates five different fpecies of this plant. 
3 harvefl 
