Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Jan.,  1889. 
Some  Indian  Food  Plants. 
5 
tion  to  its  wonderful  vitality ;  prepared  specimens  have  been  found, 
after  months  and  years,  sprouting  in  herbariums,  and  have,  even  then, 
been  planted  successfully. 
"  It  is  a  small  stemless  herb  with  linear  leaves,  smooth  and  fleshy, 
densely  imbricated  on  the  short,  thick  caudex.  From  the  cluster  of 
leaves  spring  one  or  more  jointed  scapes,  one  or  two  inches  long,  each 
bearing  a  showy  flower.  Sepals  6-8,  light  pink,  broadly  ovate,  mem- 
branous, persistent.  Petals  8-1 0,  rose  colored,  oblong,  often  an  inch 
long,  at  length  twisting  around  the  stamens  and  pistil.  Stamens 
numerous.  Capsule  globose,  1 -celled,  separating  transversely  at  the 
base,  containing  many  campylotropous  shining  seeds  borne  on  long 
funiculi  which  spring  from  a  central  placenta. 
"  This  plant  blossoms  early  in  May  and  through  June  and  part  of 
J  uly.  After  the  middle  of  July  (according  to  Dr.  C.  C.  Parry)  the 
scape  breaks  off  at  the  joint  and  the  flower  is  blown  away,  leaving  no 
trace  of  the  plant  exposed  to  view  until  the  following  spring  develops 
the  cluster  of  leaves  by  which  the  Indians  are  guided  in  procuring 
their  supplies  of  this  palatable  and  nutritious  root. 
"  It  is  common,  often  abundant  in  the  Rocky  mountains  and  west- 
ward to  the  Pacific,  on  dry  prairies  and  in  mountain  valleys.  Its 
vast  habitat  comprises  the  southern  part  of  Washington  territory,  Ore- 
gon, Idaho,  Western  Montana  (where  it  gives  its  name  to  the  Bitter 
Root  Mountains),  Northern  California,  Nevada,  Utah,  Western 
Wyoming  and  Northern  Arizona. 
"  The  natives  use  the  roots  as  an  article  of  food.  These  roots,  3  or  4, 
or  more,  curled  and  twisted,  spread  out  laterally  and  are  generally 
superficial.  As  they  spring  from  the  caudex  they  are  rarely  half  an 
inch  in  diameter  and  are  seldom  thicker  than  a  goose  quill ;  they  taper 
gradually  to  a  length  of  two  to  four  inches  when  they  branch  off  into 
small  radicles.  The  bark  is  brownish  externally,  bright  red  within 
and  very  bitter,  it  is  quite  possible  that  it  might  possess  useful  tonic  and 
astringent  properties.  The  inner  part  of  the  root  is  white  and  farina- 
ceous, containing  in  the  centre  the  yellowish  pith.  This  white  part  is 
quite  palatable  and  said  to  be  very  nutritious,  a  single  ounce  of  the  % 
dried  article  (according  to  Dr.  E.  Palmer)  being  sufficient  for  a  meal. 
Eaten  raw  it  has  a  slight  bitterish  flavor.  According  to  Nuttall,  it 
almost  dissolves  into  starch  by  maceration  in  cold  water.  If  boiled 
in  water,  it  forms  a  substance  similar  to  boiled  arrow-root.  The  In- 
dians, generally,  boil  it  with  other  esculents  into  a  soup. 
