STURTEVANT S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 39 



177s ' and is mentioned among garden escvilents by American writers on gardening in 1806 

 and since. The plant has the well-known alliaceous odor which is strongly penetrating, 

 especially at midday. It is not as much used by northern people as by those of the south 

 of Eitrope. In many parts of Europe, the peasantry eat their brown bread with slices of 

 garlic which imparts a flavor agreeable to them. In seed catalogs, the sets are listed while 

 seed is rarely offered. There are two varieties, the common and the pink. 



A. schoenoprasum Linn, chive, give. 



North temperate zone. This perennial plant seems to be grown in but few American 

 gardens, although McMahon,^ 1806, included it in his list of American esculents. Chive 

 plants are included at present among the supplies offered in our best seed catalogs. In 

 European gardens, they are cultivated for the leaves which are used in salads, soups and 

 for flavoring. Chives are much used in Scotch families and are considered next to 

 indispensable in omelettes and hence are much more used on the Continent of Europe, 

 particularly in Catholic countries. In England, chives were described by Gerarde' as 

 "a pleasant Sawce and good Pot-herb;" by Worlidge* in 1683; the chive was among 

 seedsmen's supplies ' in 1726; and it is recorded as formerly in great request but now of 

 little regard, by Bryant * in 1783. 



The only indication of variety is found in Noisette,' who entimerates the civette, the 

 cive d'Angleterre and the cive de Portugal but says these are the same, only modified by 

 soil. The plant is an humble one and is propagated by the bulbs; for, although it produces 

 flowers, these are invariably sterile according to Vilmorin. 



A. scorodoprasum Linn, rocambole, sand leek. Spanish garlic. 



Europe, Caucasus region and Syria. This species grows wild in the Grecian Islands 

 and probably elsewhere in the Mediterranean regions.* Loudon says it is a native of 

 Denmark, formerly cultivated in England for the same purposes as garlic but now com- 

 paratively neglected. It is not of ancient culture as it cannot be recognized in the plants 

 of the ancient Greek and Roman authors and finds no mention of garden cultivation by 

 the early botanists. It is the Scorodoprasum of Clusius,' 1601, and the Allii genus, 

 ophioscorodon dictum quibusdam, of J. Bauhin,^" 1651, but there is no indication of culture 

 in either case. Ray," 1688, does not refer to its cultivation in England. In 1726, how- 

 ever, Townsend " says it is " mightly in request; " in 1783, Bryant ^ classes it with edibles. 



Romans Nat. Hist. Fla. 1:84. 1775. 



McMahon, B. Amer. Card. Cat. 581. 1806. 

 Gerarde, J. Herb. 12,^. 1597. 



Worlidge, J. Syst. Hort. 194. 1683. 

 ' Townsend Seedsman 25. 1726. 



Bryant Fl. Diet. 92. 1783. 



' Noisette Man. Jard. 353. 1829. 



De CandoUe, A. Geog. Bot. 2 : 83 1 . 1 855. 



Clusius Hist. 190. 1601. 

 "Bauhin, J. Hii/. P/. 2:559. 1651. 

 "Ray, J. Hist. PI. 2:1120. 1688. 



" Townsend Seedsman 25. 1726. 

 " Bryant Fl. Diet. 23. 1783. 



