76 sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



Atherosperma moschatum Labill. Monimiaceae. tasmanian sassafras tree. 

 Australia. Its aromatic bark has been used as a substitute for tea.' 



Atriplex halimus Liim. Chenopodiaceae. sea orach. 



A plant of the seashores of Europe and the Mediterranean countries and salines as 

 far as Siberia. Sea orach is one of the few indigenous plants of Egypt that affords sustenance 

 to man. It is mentioned by Antipharues ^ as esculent ; by Dioscorides as cooked and eaten ; 

 by Toumefort as eaten in Greece. The men of the Euphrates expedition often used this 

 species as a culinary vegetable. 



A. hortensis Linn, butter leaves, mountain spinach, orach. 



Cosmopolitan. Orach has long been used as a kitchen vegetable in Europe. It was 

 known to the ancient Greeks under the name of atraphaxis and Dioscorides writes that it 

 was eaten boiled. It was known to the Romans under the name of atriplex. Orach was 

 introduced into English gardens in 1548 and was long used, as it still is, in many countries 

 to correct the acidity and the green color of sorrel. It is grown in three varieties.' 



Orach was known to Turner * in England in 1538, who calls it areche, or red oreche. 

 In 1686, Ray ^ mentions the white and red, as mentioned by Gerarde * in 1597. In 1623, 

 Bauhin ' mentions the red, the white and the dark green. In 1806, three kinds are named 

 by McMahon * as in American gardens. 



Attalea cohune Mart. Palmae. cohune palm. 



Honduras. The tree bears a fruit, about the size of a large egg, growing in clusters 

 resembling a bunch of grapes. The kernel tastes somewhat like that of the cocoanut 

 but is far more oleaginous and the oil is superior.' 



A. compta Mart. 



Brazil. The seed-vessels are eaten as a deUcacy.'" 



A. excelsa Mart, urucuri palm. 



Amazon region. Bates " says the fruit is similar in size and shape to the date and 

 has a pleasantly flavored, juicy pulp. The Indians did not eat it but he did, although 

 its wholesomeness was questionable. 



Avena brevis Roth. Gramineae. fly's leg. short oat. 



Europe. The Germans call this species a native plant and say that it grows wild 



' Smith, J. Dom. Bot. 248. 1871. 



' Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 12. 1879. 



'Fraser, J. B. Mesopotamia 35g. 1842. {A. orache) 



* Turner Libellus. 1538. 

 ^Ra.y Hist. PI. 191. 1686. 



Gerarde, J. Herb. 256. 1597. 



' Bauhin, C. Pmax 119. 1623. 



McMahon, B. Amer. Card. Cal. 321. 1806. 



Temple, R. Journ. Sac. Arts 2:500. No. 81. 

 Masters, M. T. Tre'as. Bot. 1:110. 1870. 

 " Bate.s, H. W. Nat. Amaz. 719. 1879. Humboldt Libr. Set. 



