82 sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



B. arundlnacea Willd. bamboo. 



East Indies. The seeds of this and other species of Bambusa have often saved the 

 lives of thousands in times of scarcity in India, as in Orissa in 1812, in Kanara in 1864 

 and in 1866 ' in Malda. The plant bears whitish seed, like rice, and Drury ' says these 

 seeds are eaten by the poorer classes. 



B. tulda Roxb. bamboo. 



East Indies and Burma. In Bengal, the tender yoiong shoots are eaten as pickles 

 by the natives.' 



Banisteria crotonifolia A. Juss. Malpighiaceae. 

 Brazil. The fruit is eaten in Brazil.* 



Baptisia tinctoria R. Br. Leguminosae. horse-fly weed, wild indigo. 



Northeastern America. Barton ' says the young shoots of this plant, which resemble 

 asparagus in appearance, have been used in New England as a substitute for asparagus. 



Barbarea arcuata Reichb. Cruciferae. bitter cress. 



Europe and Asia. The plant serves as a bitter cress. 



B. praecox R. Br. American cress, belle isle cress, early winter cress, land 



CRESS. SCURVY GRASS. 



Europe. This cress is occasionally cultivated for salad in the Middle States under 

 the name scurvy grass and is becoming spontaneous farther south. It is grown in gardens 

 in England as a cress and is used in winter and spring salads. In Germany, it is generally 

 liked. In the Mauritius, it is n regular cultivation and is known as early winter cress. 

 In the United States, its seeds are offered in seed catalogs. 



B. vulgaris R. Br. rocket, winter cress, yellow rocket. 



Europe and temperate Asia. This herb of northern climates has been cultivated 

 in gardens in England for a long time as an early salad and also in Scotland, where the 

 bitter leaves are eaten by some.* In early times, rocket was held in some repute ' but 

 is now banished from cultivation yet appears in gardens as a weed. The whole herb, 

 says Don,* has a nauseous, bitter taste and is in some degree mucilaginous. In Sweden, 

 the leaves are boiled as a kale. In New Zealand, the plant is used by the natives as a 

 food under the name, tot. Rocket is included in the list of American garden esculents 

 by McMahon,' in 1806. In 1832, Bridgeman says winter cress is used as a salad in spring 

 and autumn and fcy some boiled as a spinage. 



' Brandis, D. Forest PI. 566. 1874. 



' Drury, H. Useful Pis. Ind. 61. 1858. 



' Roxburgh, W. ffor/. Seng. 2:193. 1814. 



Don, G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 1:635. 1831. 



' Barton, W. P. C. Med. Bot. 2:61. 1818. 



Johnson, C. P. Useful Pis. Gt. Brit. 31. 1862. 



' Gerarde, J. Herb. 243. 1633 or 1636. 2nd Ed. 



Don, G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 1:159. 1831. 



McMahon, B. Amer. Card. Cat. 581. 1806. (Erysimum barbarea) 



