6o A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



this country. Amorphophallus konjac, " Mo-yii," is sparingly 

 cultivated throughout the Yangtsze Valley. The tubers are 

 ground up with water and made into a curd-like compound. 

 On Mount Omei and in north-west Szechuan this plant is 

 more generally cultivated. The bulbs of Lilium tigrinum, the 

 " Chia-peh-ho," are highly esteemed, and occur both cultivated 

 and wild. The white bulbs of this lily are more expensive in 

 China than they are in this country. When properly cooked 

 these bulbs are not at all bad eating. They somewhat resemble 

 the parsnip in flavour. 



Of the onion family, Garlic, or " Ta-suan " [Allium sativum), 

 and the common Onion; or " Ts'ong " [A. Cepa)] are cultivated 

 extensively. Garlic is highly esteemed. Onions are eaten 

 as " spring onions," large bulbs being absolutely unknown. 

 A. fistulosum is the Chinese Leek, " Chiu-ts'ai," and is very 

 widely grown. The leaves are flattened and covered with 

 earth to ensure blanching. The blanched leaves, " Chin- 

 huang," are considered a delicacy. In the mountains A. 

 odorum, A. chinense, and other species are common. These are 

 culled and eaten by the peasantry. Szechuan, especially the 

 more alluvial areas, produces remarkably fine Carrots {Daucus 

 Carota), " Hung Lo-po." They are grown in large quantities 

 and eaten with great relish. The Parsnip [Peucedanum 

 sativum), " Uen-shui " are cultivated, but the roots are seldom 

 thicker than a pencil. The whole plant is cooked and eaten. 



Although in central and Western China quite a number 

 of plants are grown for their oil, fully 75 per cent, of the oil 

 commonly used is the product of two members of the cabbage 

 family. After a careful investigation of the subject I have 

 satisfied myself that the two plants in question are Brassica 

 juncea, var. oleifera, and B. campestris, var. oleifera. The 

 latter is the " Ta-yu-ts'ai " of the Chinese, the former the 

 " Hsao-yu-ts'ai;" or " Ch'ing-yu." Both kinds are loosely 

 designated " rape " by the foreigners resident in China ; 

 but in my wanderings there I never met with the true rape 

 plant. Throughout the entire Yangtsze Valley, during the 

 winter months, enormous areas are given over to the cultiva- 

 tion of these two plants. Though the " Hsao-yu-ts'ai " is 

 the earlier of the two, the other is the more extensively grown. 



