406 EDIBLE WILD PLANTS 



pollen producing portion of the plant to a height of 4 in. higher^ 

 At junction of .stem and root is a starchy edible pith, tasting 

 like tapioca. Eat roasted or boiled — but to extract all nourish- 

 ment dry and grate the root, soak in water or boil, and strain. 

 A valuable food, but not abundant enough to be important. 



In quiet, shallow ponds or miry swamps. Common through- 

 out Nova Scotia. Abundant only in some districts. 



Jf^5. Osmitnda cinnamomea L. Cinnamon Fern. 



Fronds lift, to 4ft. high, springing from a couuiion root. 

 Flowers and seed on a mass of curled fronds in centre. Edible 

 part is core of root which is tender, white and sweet ; found 

 just below the surface. Root is massive, scaly, and fimly rooted 

 and difficult to extract. Roasting or boiling in salt improves. 

 Edible part Ih in. long. 



Plentiful in every swamp and wet tract of land throughout 

 the province. 



LEAVES. 



4^6. Riimex crispus L. Curled Dock, Sourdock. 



Stems H ft. to 3 ft. high, upper part leafless and seed-bear- 

 ing. Leaves spread from root and base of stem, 5 in. to 12 in. 

 long, pointed, arrow-like, smooth with strongly crimped mar- 

 gins. Seeds with wings, which are heart-shaped or almost 

 round, and nearly I in. wide, in long tapering cluster of several 

 hundred at top of stem. Root long, spindle-shaped, vertical, 

 orange-colored. 



In fields, pastures, waste lands, in woods around old lumber 

 camps. Very abundant. Leaves tender, somewhat sour, used 

 as a green boiled with salt, pleasant tasting and digestible 

 especially from May to August. Generally distributed. 



4^7. Rumex sanguineus L. var Viridis. Bloody- veined Dock, 



Sourdock. 

 Stems long, slender, leaHess, spring from base of leaves. 

 Leaves long, slender, pointed at both ends, except lower leaves 



