AmNov.?i889arm"}  Peucedanum  Eurycarpum.  557 
2  on  the  commissural  side/  This  species  is  closely  allied  to  P.  macro- 
carpum  of  Nuttall,  in  bulb  and  foliage,  and  was  long  considered  a 
variety  of  it  when  at  all  distinguished  from  it.  It  is  found  from  the 
Sacramento  river  in  California,  northward  through  Oregon  to  Wash- 
ington and  British  Columbia.  It  has  not  yet  been  collected  east  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is  quite  common  on  the  Spokane  river, 
Washington,  and  is  there  called  '  skelaps '  by  the  Indians  who  use  it 
as  an  article  of  food." 
"The  thick  root  expands  below  into  one  or  more  irregularly  oblong, 
often  much  misshapen  tubers,  f  to  1J  inch  in  diameter,  and  covered 
with  brownish  black  epidermis.  On  section,  they  are  found  to  be 
composed  almost  entirely  of  a  white,  spongy,  starchy  material  which 
has  a  pleasant  farinaceous  taste." 
"  Of  the  three  species  of  Peucedanum  used  by  the  Spokane  Indians, 
the  best,  in  size  and  flavor  of  bulbs,  is  the  'Chucklusa'  (P.  Canbyi, 
Coulter  and  Rose),  which  in  their  estimation  is  only  second  to  Camas 
as  native  food  ;  the  next  best  is  the  'Tuhwha'  (P.  farinosum,  Geyer), 
and  the  least,  the  '  Skelaps '  (P.  eurycarpum)." 
"The  bulbs  of  these  species,  although  very  good  and  palatable  when 
raw,  are  generally  prepared  by  roasting  or  baking  and  then  pounding 
into  a  flour  from  which  a  wholesome  and  nutritious  cake  or  bread  is 
made." 
The  following  are  the  constituents  So  far  as  its  use  as  a  food  is  con- 
cerned, although  the  tubers  undoubtedly  contain  small  quantities  of 
other  compounds;  for  example,  there  is  present  a  small  amount  of 
a  compound  of  butyric  acid,  as  was  determined  by  allowing  the  powder 
to  macerate  in  a  warm  place  for  some  hours  with  water,  when  the  charac- 
teristic odor  of  the  acid  developed. 
Starch  ,  35*06  per  cent. 
Albumenoids  9*63  " 
Glucose   3  66 
Saccharose                                                           T80  " 
Mucilage                                                             3'61  " 
Resin,  etc                                                           2  68  " 
Wax                                                                   2  45  " 
Volatile  oil                                                          0*02  " 
Ash                                                                    5  06  " 
Moisture  1030  " 
Cellulose  25  73  " 
100-00 
Tests  were  made  for  tannin,  but  with  negative  results.    In  1833 
