186 



PLANTS AND MAN 



sicin and the yellow carotin. Peppers are another genus of the 

 Nightshade Family native to tropical America; they are not to 

 be confused with the true pepper plant which is the source of the 

 condiment, and belongs in another family. Peppers are pungent 

 biting fruits (fig. 121) highly prized by southern peoples as a 

 salad plant, or as an ingredient in Tabasco sauce and in Chili con 

 carne. Dried and ground up peppers are known as paprika and 

 Cayenne pepper. 



11 



Fig. 121.— Pep- 

 pers, members of the 

 Nightshade Family, 

 have pungent biting 

 fruits. 



Fig. 122. — Gooseberries (A) 

 and currants (B) are edible 

 fruits of the Saxifrage Family. 



k 



Currants and gooseberries (fig. 122) are edible fruits of the 

 Saxifrage Family. They are low bushy plants better adapted for 

 living in colder climates than most edible plants; representatives 

 of both occur in North America as well as in Europe and Asia. 

 The cultivated currants are natives of Eurasia, where they have 

 been grown since the Middle Ages; there are red, black and white 

 varieties. Being very acid, currants are rarely eaten as a fresh 

 fruit, but rather cooked into jellies and sauces. Few of the native 



