In 1805 when Lewis and Clark crossed the Continental Divide they saw North American Indians preparing the large roots of a plant for cooking. Lewis writes that he asked to taste a sample of the root. It was probably with some sense of amusement that the Indians, who cook the root before eating it, handed Lewis the raw root—which immediately upon tasting he named the bitterroot.

REF.: Keithley, W.E. 1989. Bitterroot. Creation Research Society Quarterly, vol. 26, Sept. p. 53.  Photo: BitterroomPixabay.com