Dichelostemma--TOW

Patricia Brooks pbrooks3@sc.rr.com
Thu, 29 May 2003 07:03:54 PDT
I love to get some  and try them.  They souond like a very interesting plant
to go.

Pat
in South Carolina
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Sue Ittner" <msittner@mcn.org>
To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 9:55 AM
Subject: Re: [pbs] Dichelostemma--TOW


> Dear All,
>
> A number of year ago I remember reading an interesting study in Fremontia
> about Dichelostemma capitatum. I have searched everywhere for it, but I
> must not have kept it. I am afraid to trust my memory on this so accept
> this as only a memory which may have been distorted over
> time.  Dichelostemma capitatum was a major food source for Native
> Americans. In a book I have for plants used by Indians of my county it is
> listed as being eaten raw, but sweeter when cooked in ashes. Since it
> offsets a lot each year they would dig them up, take the larger ones and
> replant the smaller ones. This system worked very well.
>
> They were discouraged from continuing to do this by the settlers. In the
> article someone had decided to do an experiment many years later. Not
being
> able to use them as food had been a great hardship and this person was
> interested in determining who was correct about whether digging them would
> hurt the bulb population. They were grown for a number of years (I can't
> remember how long). In one bed they were left to grow and in the other
some
> were removed and the little one replanted as the Indians would have
> done.  At the end of the experiment both plots were dug up and  then
number
> of bulbs counted. Now for the results I really need the article. What my
> recollection is was that there was a big increase in both populations and
> that digging them had not been a detriment at all and maybe even
> contributed to a healthy population. Does anyone else who might be a CNPS
> member remember reading this article and have it handy?
>
> Are Alberto, Jane, Lauw, Diana, and I the only ones growing this genus?
> (And Doug Westfall who has a picture on the wiki). Anyone else willing to
> share your experiences?
>
> Mary Sue
>
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