There are two plants, which, from the great use made of them, merit a particular mention and description. The first is called by the natives the _sarana_; and by botanists, _Lilium Kamtskatiense flore atro rubente_.[29] The stem is about the thickness of that of the tulip, and grows to the height of five inches, is of a purple colour toward the bottom, and green higher up, and hath growing from it two tier of leaves of an oval figure, the lower consisting of three leaves, the uppermost of four, in the form of a cross: from the top of the stalk grows a single flower, of an exceedingly dark red colour, in shape resembling the flower of the narcissus, only much smaller: from the centre of the flower rises a style of a triangular form, and obtuse at the end, which is surrounded by six white _stamina_, whose extremities are yellow. The root is of the bulbous kind, and resembles in shape that of garlic, being much of the same size, but rounder, and having, like that, four or five cloves hanging together. The plant grows wild, and in considerable abundance: the women are employed in collecting the roots at the beginning of August, which are afterward dried in the sun, and then laid up for use. On our second arrival, this harvest was just over, and had fallen much short of its usual produce. It is a common observation amongst the Kamtschadales, that the bounty of Providence never fails them; for that such seasons as are most hurtful to the _sarana_, are always the most favourable for fishing; and that, on the contrary, a bad fishing month is always made up by the exuberance of the _sarana_ harvest. It is used in cookery in various ways. When roasted in embers, it supplies the place of bread, better than any thing the country affords. After being baked in an oven, and pounded, it becomes an excellent substitute for flour and meal of every sort, and in this form is mixed in all their soups, and most of their other dishes. It is esteemed extremely nourishing, has a pleasant bitter taste, and may be eaten every day without cloying. We used to boil these roots, and eat them as potatoes, either alone or with our meat, and found them very wholesome and pleasant. It has been already mentioned, that this useful plant grows also at Oonalashka, where the roots of it are used, and constitute a considerable part of their food, in like manner as in Kamtschatka.