Fritillaria pudica
Encyclopedia
Fritillaria pudica is a small, charming plant of sagebrush
country in the western U.S and Canada. It is a member of the Lily family, or Liliaceae
. Another (somewhat ambiguous) name is "yellowbells", since it has a bell-shaped yellow flower. It may be found in dryish, loose soil; it is amongst the first plants to flower after the snow
melts, but the flower does not last very long; as the petals age, they turn a brick-red colour and begin to curl outward.
This lily produces a small bulb
, which can be dug up and eaten fresh or cooked; it served Native Americans
as a good source of food
in times past, and is still eaten occasionally. Today these lovely plants are nowhere common so digging and eating the bulbs should be reserved for emergencies. The plant is called [ˈsɨkni] in Sahaptin
.
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
country in the western U.S and Canada. It is a member of the Lily family, or Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
. Another (somewhat ambiguous) name is "yellowbells", since it has a bell-shaped yellow flower. It may be found in dryish, loose soil; it is amongst the first plants to flower after the snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
melts, but the flower does not last very long; as the petals age, they turn a brick-red colour and begin to curl outward.
This lily produces a small bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
, which can be dug up and eaten fresh or cooked; it served Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
as a good source of food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
in times past, and is still eaten occasionally. Today these lovely plants are nowhere common so digging and eating the bulbs should be reserved for emergencies. The plant is called [ˈsɨkni] in Sahaptin
Sahaptin
Sahaptin may refer to:*Sahaptin language, a dialect continuum within the Sahaptian language subfamily*Sahaptin people, an Indian people of a large territory along the Columbia river and its tributaries in Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho...
.