32 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



used for food, though we must not overlook in this connection, 

 the cauliflower, which is a sort of abnormal flower-cluster, the 

 the true artichoke, which is a flower head, and capers and 

 cloves, both buds. Rose petals and violet flowers are some- 

 times made into conserves, but one must go to the warmer re- 

 gions of the earth to find flowers taking a prominent place on 

 the bill of fare. One of the most conspicuous in this respect 

 is the flower of the mahua tree {Bassia latifolia), a species be- 

 longing to the Sapotaceae. According to the Quarterly of the 

 Royal Botanic Society of London more than a million people 

 in India regularly use the flowers as an article of food. The 

 consumption per individual is not far from eighty pounds an- 

 nually. The ^ee blossoms in March and April, at .which time 

 the ground beneath it is carefully cleared to receive the thick, 

 juicy, globular corollas as they fall. These are gathered by 

 the women and children and spread out in the sun on mats to 

 dry. A single tree will vield 300 pounds of blossoms a year. 

 When fresh, the flowers are extremely sweet and often con- 

 tain 40 to 70% of sugar. They liave a peculiarly pungent 

 taste and characteristic odor. They are eaten in both the fresh 

 and the dried state and are cooked with rice, cocoanut, or 

 flour. A second and different crop is later obtained from the 

 same tree, for the seeds yield an edible fat called "Ilipe butter" 

 which finds its greatest usefulness in the manufacture of soap 

 and candles. » 



Hawthorx vs. Thoknai'I'ij;. — A good illustration of 

 llic indefiniteness of sonic common nanK> is found in the terms 

 applied to the species of Crataegus. The name hawthorn 

 seems prettv well restricted to iCurope and api)ears to be rarely 

 used here except by those who get their common names from 

 the books. Tn America the species are prol)al)ly more com- 

 monlv known as thorn-apples or haws. Frequently they are 

 called red haws to distingunish them from the black haws 



