EMERGENCY FOOD PLANTS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 9-11 



Emilia (par. 20r), Amaranthus (par. 20e), Commelinaceae 

 (par. 20c), and perhaps some other introduced weeds con- 

 siderjed in this manual. Even on uninhabited islands is 

 sometimes found the coconut palm (par. 16e) , and the bread- 

 fruit (par. 22c), where casual visitors have planted them. 

 Generally, the vegetation on these low islands is very simple, 

 with very few species as compared with that of the high 

 islands, such as Fiji, Samoa, and others, and with the 

 individual islands of the Malayan region. 



B 10. Guide for Eating Fruits. — ^Keep in mind that those 

 cultivated trees and shrubs growing in the settled areas, in 

 and near towns, that bear attractive fleshy fruits, for the 

 most part are actually planted for their fruits, and that 

 generally their fruits may be eaten with perfect safety. 

 In the wild, where monkeys occur, a safeguard to follow is to 

 observe what the monkeys actually eat in the form of wild 

 fruits. The feeding habits of birds is not such a safe guide. 

 One should keep in mind constantly that fruit maturity in 

 the tropics is normally seasonal just as it is in temperate 

 regions, and only occasionally, as with the coconut palm, are 

 fruits produced throughout the year. 



Section V 



EDIBLE FERNS 



• Paragraph 



Perns in general H 



Specific ferns 12 



■ 11. Ferns in General. — The number of different kinds of 

 ferns in the Malayan-Polynesian region is very great, proba- 

 bly exceeding 1,500 different species. Some are small in- 

 significant, while others are relatively very large in size, 

 including the characteristic tree ferns (par. 12). Parts of 

 certain species of ferns are regularly used as food by the 

 natives and these parts are often offered for sale in native 

 markets. While the food value of the edible parts of ferns 

 is probably relatively low, yet these parts will help sustain 

 life when other foods are not available. In general the parts 

 most commonly used are the young unfolding leaves, com- 

 monly spoken of as "fiddle heads;" these may be eaten either 



