THE LETTUCE. 673 



a flavour which, according to Bryant, is surpassed by few garden vegetables ; 

 and it will continue producing these shoots for two months. In our opinion, 

 it well deserves cultivation. The Virginian Poke, Phytolacca decandra L., a 

 perennial from Virginia, where the points of the young shoots are used as 

 asparagus. The Willow-herb, Epilbbium angustifolium L., the young and 

 tender shoots are eaten as asparagus, and the leaves as greens. Solomons 

 seal, Polygonatum vulgare Dec., the young shoots are boiled and eaten as 

 asparagus, and the roots said to be dried, ground, and made into bread. 

 The common Comfrey, Symphytum officinale L., the blanched stalks form 

 an agreeable asparagus. The Slack Bryony, Tamus communis L., the 

 blanched tops are eaten as asparagus. The Burdock, Arctium Lappa L., 

 the tender stalks are eaten as asparagus. Stachys palustris L., the under- 

 ground stems of which, when grown in rich moist soil, are white, crisp, and 

 agreeable to the taste. The Milk-thistle, Carduus Marianus L., is a bien- 

 nial, a native of Britain, on rich soils. The young stalks, peeled and soaked 

 in water to extract a part of their bitterness, and then boiled, are said to be 

 an excellent substitute for asparagus. When very young the leaves are 

 used as a spring salad ; and the large leaves, blanched in autumn like those 

 of the cardoon, form a good substitute for that vegetable, and they are also 

 used as greens. Early in the spring of the second year, the root is prepared 

 like skirret or salsify (I486 and 1438), and in the summer of the second 

 year, the receptacle of the heads of flowers gathered before they expand, is 

 pulpy, and eats like that of the artichoke. The Cotton-thistle, Onopdrdum 

 Acanthium L., is an indigenous biennial, the leaves of which were formerly 

 blanched and used like those of the cardoon; the tender blanched stalks, peeled 

 and boiled like asparagus, and the receptacle of the flower treated like that 

 of the artichoke. The Carline-thistle, Carlina acanthif olia All., a perennial, 

 a native of Carniola, and the common species C. vulgaris L., a biennial, a 

 native of Britain, produce large heads of flow r ers, the receptacle of which may 

 be used like that of the artichoke ; and hi all probability the flowers and 

 leaves of most carduaceous plants might be used like those of the artichoke 

 and cardoon. The pyramidal Campanula, Campanula pyramidalis L., and 

 various other species of campanula, producing fusiform, or fleshy, roots, might 

 doubtless be used as substitutes for the rampion, as are those of the campanula- 

 ceous plants, Phyteuma spicatum L., in Sussex, and Canarina Campanula L., 

 in the Canary Islands. Ruscus aculeatus L., for its tender young shoots in 

 spring; Ornithdgalum pyrenaicum L., the Bath asparagus, the flower-stems 

 of which are brought to market at Bath, where the flowers are in a close 

 head like an asparagus bud ; the mays, Zea Mays L., the sweet or sugar 

 variety of which, when the seed is immature, is much used in America, 

 roasted, fried, or boiled. 



SECT. VII. Acetariaceous Esculents. 



1502. The acetariaceous esculents, or salads, in cultivation in gardens are 

 numerous, but those of most importance are the lettuce, endive, and 

 celery. They are all articles of luxury, unless we except the lettuce, 

 which is a useful vegetable in every cottage-garden. 



SUBSECT. I. The Lettuce. 



1503. The lettuce, Lactuca sativa L. (Laitue, Fr.), is a cichoraceous 

 plant, annual or biennial, according to the time in which it is sown ; con- 



