Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-22
THE sEGo LILY.

a choice article of food. Not more than
twenty years ago, sego digging In
spring was still favorite pastlme OF
boys and girls.
For those who wish TO taste the bulb
of the sego. which served In some
cases in early days to avert actual fam
inc, we may state that the bulb OF this
delicate lily, Utah's state flower. will
soon be at its best as a toothsome and
dainty morsel The plant grows on
every sagebrush hill. It may be known
from its slender, grass-llke stem and
leaves, at this season, resembling a
blush wire-grass. about six inches
high. and consisting usually of only
two leaves.
II may finally grow to twelve inches.
IT always bears only a few, usually
three, linear leaves, which clasp the
stem at the base. The lower leaves are
alternate, but later there Is an upper
small. opposite pair. From these arise
two main branches each bearing a
flower Occasionally there are three or
four flowers or only one.
The flowers usually appear about the
beginning of summer When fully ex-
banded, they are bell-shaped, symetri-
cal in outline. and are white, striped
with notified green and tinged with
purple on the outside. Within, the
color is pearly white marked with pur-
pie above and yellow below in a large
bearded and spongy spot near the base.
The flower measures about an inch
and a half each way. The three petals
are eart-shaped, but each has n small
point above. The three sepals are
lance shaped. tapering, sharp-pointed,
and finally spreading outwards. The
heart, the lance. the arrow-Cupid's
paraphernalia-all appear in it's make
up.
The bud from which the flower ex-
pands liz also an interesting object. 1t
Is cone-shaped and tapering, finally be-
coming nearly an inch long. Its Sc
pals, or outer flower leaves, are some
what intoxicated, the edges very slight
ly overlapping; but the petals, the in
side flower leaves. are convolute OF
These six flower leaves form the per-
ianth, or flower divisions and opposite
each segment is a stainen with blunt,
arrow-like anther. The pistil is three
celled, narrowly oblong, and several to
many seeded. 1t is a question whether
or not the sego is reproduced from
seeds or whether it arises always from
the little bulbs that form at the roots
after the Towering is over. Some of
these small bulbs may have been
formed from the seeds OF previous
years. but some. at least, are renewed
from the old root.
on account Of its rare and delicate
beauty. its fragrance. and the entire
absence from this choice specie. of any
aspect Of weakness, 1t seems a pity
that it has never been successfully
domesiicated. It is literally all flower,
and has no weed-like remainder after
blooming.
The thread-like stem, white and glis-
tening beneath its papery underground
coat, goes into the soil about six inches
or more, and there expands into a ten
der scaly bulb. which is sweet. mucl-
laginous and nutritious before the
plant flowers; but after towering is
dry and tastoless. This bulb is usually
about three-fourths OF an inch long
and less than half an inch wide.
The edible bulb Of the sego, Calochor
tus. lily, need never be confused with
80 lad sFa.NI
son scgo," zygadenus paniculatus
which Is much larger, coarser, and GOV
cred with several rough, black. scal'
coats. zygadenus is much large
plant, It's bunch of numerous two
ranked or folding leaves rising ike
fountain and spreading outward In sic
kle-llke curves to the ground. I'M
dense and deep green foliage or SICKLE
curved leaves finally becomes TOO
high. and need never be mistaken ior III
two or three slender leaves or the ses'
vet the Two have often been contounue
when Young. and cases OF poisonln
were reported in early days from ''iit,'
the bulbs of zygadenus. Ihese ouit
contaln an albumoid poison that Is eS
ceedinclv dangerous II eaten II
said. too, but we do not know that tn
has been verified, that the leaves al
polsonous and are sparinsly eaton y
ro,tie which are sometimes polsone
In ,bls way. The sealy bulb Of the 20
co.. sego is black outside, ana when ~
,royvn ~ an inch and a half thick an
,wo inchos long. A dense hbrnus ro
svstem springs from below the bul
,rhe fiowers OF the poison sego are ind
ylduaily small and form a mass asgr
rated into a spike cluster of GREEN'S
white flowers, the six yellow anthe
giving 20 the flowers a yeliowlsh cast.
But the state flower and MS poisonol
relative belong 10 the family of mi,
hut are OF different genera, They gro
side by side. the roso my often prcte
ring the rich soil ana shaggy shelter
the sage brush, while zyaadenus prefe
the open They are IKE types of go
and evil, OF beauty and beast, OF Writ
and vice, hogrishtng IN the same G
vlronment