196 WEEDS OF FARM LAND 



facture of the food-stuff called " salep " or " saleep ". Orchis 

 mascula is very plentiful in the moist meadows of Gloucester- 

 shire and other parts of England, and is much cultivated in 

 the East, where it yields a considerable portion of the diet of 

 the inhabitants of Turkey, Persia and Syria. The root is 

 heated and dried in the air, and forms a somewhat horny 

 substance called salep, which is supposed to contain a very 

 large quantity of nutritious matter within a very small bulk. 

 It has the property of concealing the taste of salt water and 

 of retarding the natural souring of milk, and in certain pro- 

 portions it is said to be a very useful and profitable addition 

 to bread. 1 Opinions differ as to its medicinal value, some 

 authorities claiming that it is of considerable service in several 

 diseases, others denying that it is of much use in this respect. 



Ornithogalum pyrenaicum (Spiked Star-of-Bethlehem). 

 This weed is very local in occurrence, but round about Bath 

 it is so abundant that the young shoots or flowering spikes 

 are collected in the spring and sold in the market as a substi- 

 tute for asparagus, hence the variety of popular names con- 

 nected with "asparagus" Bath asparagus, French asparagus, 

 Prussian asparagus.' 2 It would probably be improved by 

 cultivation. . The seeds are said to impart a flavour to bread. 3 



Papaver rkceas (Red poppy). The valuable properties of 

 this plant have long been recognised, as even in the time of 

 Theophrastus (circa 322 B.C.) it was used in medicine. Pliny 

 acknowledged the narcotic nature of the poppy, and stated 

 that it reduced inflammation of the eyes when used as a liniment. 

 At the present time this particular species is chiefly valued for 

 its petals which yield a fine red colouring matter, especially if 

 used in the fresh state. The petals are collected for making 

 a coloured syrup which has very slight narcotic properties. 2 

 Opinions differ as to whether the seeds are also narcotic, 

 but they contain a farinaceous substance, combined with a 

 bland oil which is expressed for use. This poppy oil is 

 particularly sweet and wholesome and is often mixed with 

 or used instead of olive oil for domestic purposes and for 

 painting. The cake or residue after the oil is expressed forms 

 a nutritious food for cattle. In some parts of Europe and the 

 East poppy seeds are baked in cake or strewn upon bread 

 and butter, and the Genoese encrust them with sugar and eat 

 them as comfits. They are also eaten by Egyptians and 



1 Wilson, loc. cit. 2 Lindley and Moore, loc. cit. 



8 Hogg and Johnson, loc. cit. 



