EDIBLE SEAWEEDS. 479 



Exidea auricula Judce is used in China as an article of food 

 in soups and stews. Morchella esculenta, morel, an edible 

 fungus imported from Italy in a dry state. Tuber, the genus 

 under which the several sorts of underground fungi termed 

 Truffles are placed. These are scented out by dogs and pigs. 

 T. cestivum is that chiefly used in France, and found in the Eng- 

 lish market. T. melanosporum is a richly-scented truffle, to 

 be obtained in the Paris markets. T. cibarium, brumale, gris- 

 eum, moschatum, and rufum are also enumerated as in use. In 

 Britain truffles are commonly of small weight. In Van Die- 

 men's Land there is a species called native bread, which weighs 

 from 1 to 2 Ib. It has been called Mylitta Australis, but is 

 probably a tuber. Their production may be artificially pro- 

 moted.* 



Algce, Seaweed order. Alaria esculenta is nutritive. 

 Cliondrus crispus and (7. mammillosus are called carageen or 

 Irish moss. They contain a substance somewhat allied to 

 starch, which is extracted by boiling water. On cooling it 

 forms a jelly of much use in the sick-room. Plocaria com- 

 pressa also affords this substance. Diatomacece are ranked 

 under the Algce. Fossil remains, in the shape of siliceous 

 exuviae, abound in many places. The berg-mehl in Sweden, 

 used as food, is composed of fossil Diatomacece. 



D' Urvillcca utilis is used for food on the coast of Chili. 



Fucus vesiculosus forms a principal part of the winter food 

 for horses, cattle, and sheep in some of the Scottish islands, and 

 in Gothland it is commonly given to pigs. F. serratus is 

 given to cattle in Norway. 



Gigartina speciosa is used to make a jelly at Swan river. 

 Gracilaria lichenoides is the Ceylon moss used in soups and 

 jellies. G. spinosa is the agar-agar of the Chinese, also an 

 article of diet. 



* Balfour, ' Class-Book of Botany,' pp. 963, 964. 



