WILD PLANTS

A Note of Caution

Although many wild plants provide safe and enjoyable

food, a few are poisonous. This book is not intended as a refer-
ence for identification of edible plants; some excellent field
guides have been prepared for this purpose.

WILD RICE Florence Burton — Kincolith
In late May the purple, lily-like flowers of the Chocolate
Lily plant appear. After the flower blooms, the bulbs are taken
from the ground and used for food. The bulb is large and com-
posed of many bulblets which look like grains of rice. The small
kernels are called ‘‘wild rice’’ by the people of Kincolith and
other coastal villages. The ‘“‘rice’’ is pulled off the bulb, washed
and boiled without the addition of salt. Wild rice is served with
canned hemlock cakes, eulachon grease and sugar to taste.

STEAMED STINGING NETTLES
Irene Jackson, Emma Johnson — Owikenu

The new leaves of sprouting stinging nettle plants are cul
before they open and steamed until tender. They are similar to
spinach when cooked.

SUNFLOWER ROOTS (Balsam Root) |
Cecilia McNab — Deadman’s Creek

The ‘“‘sunflower” plant is commonly seen on slopes in the
dry southern interior of B.C., in the East Kootenays and south-
ern areas of Vancouver Island. It resembles the cultivated sun-
flower but is much smaller. The flowers are three inches across
and the plant is about a foot high. The taproot, which is about
‘twelve inches long, is taken in the spring and used for food. The
outer skin is peeled off before the roots are cooked. Previous
senerations cooked the roots in pits; now they are steamed in a4

pot on top of the stove. Steamed “‘suntlower roots” are served
hot as a vegetable.

BRIAR SHOOTS

The new shoots of briar-like bushes (salmon berry, thimble
berry) are peeled, dipped in sugar, and caten raw.
CAMAS ROOT Cecitia McNab - Deudman’s Creek
The Camas plant grows in meadows of Vancouver Island
and in some areas of the Interior. After the plant blooms, the
large bulbs are dug from the ground and used for food. Many

years ago, they were hung on maple bark before being cooked
or dried. Strips of the inner bark of maple trecs and a needle

~ made from the shin bone of a deer were used for that purpose.

The camas roots were hung in the sun to dry or strung iN pits
for cooking.
WILD RHUBARB Mrs. Denis Sam — Shutus
Along the British Columbia coast and in moist areas of the
interior of the Province, wild rhubarb may be gathered. The
“wild rhubarb” plant, or Cow Parsnip, is usually three to five

fect tall, although it may reach ten feet. It has broad green
lcaves, a stem which resembles celery, and care should be taken

to avoid the Water Hemlock or Poisonous Hemlock plants which

belong to the same family but are poisonous.

The stalks of the Cow Parsnip, if picked before the plant

flowers, are sweet and juicy. The outer skin is pecled off and

the inner stalks eaten. They may be prepared in the following

‘ways:

1. Asa snack, dipped in sugar

2. Dipped in eulachon grease and served as a spicy
side dish with mountain goat head cheese.

3. The stalk may be cut into pieces, boiled until
tender and served hot as a vegetable.

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