- 144 STURTEVANT S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 



Carpodinus acida Sabine. Apocynaceae. 



A climbing shrub of Sierra Leone. The fruit has a sharp, acid taste, with some little 

 bitterness, which prevents its being agreeable; it is, however, much liked by the natives.' 



C. dulcis Sabine, sweet pishamin. 



Sierra Leone. The fruit is yellow externally, in size and appearance resembling a 

 lime. When broken or cut it yields a quantity of sweet, milky juice. The pulp, in which 

 many large seeds are found, is also agreeable and sweet.' 



Carthamus tinctorius Linn. Compositae. false saffron, safflower. 



Old World; extensively cultivated in India, China and other parts of Asia; also in 

 Egypt, southern Europe and in South America. Under the name of safflower, the 

 flowers are used largely for dyeing. Phillips ' says the flowers are used in Spain and in 

 the Levant to color foods. The oil from the seeds in India is used for lamps and for culi- 

 nary purposes, says Drury.^ In South America, as well as in Jamaica, as Ainslie * writes, 

 the flowers are much used for coloring broths and ragouts. They were so used in England 

 in the time of Parkinson.* In American seed catalogs, the seed is offered under the name 

 of saffron but the true saffron is the product of a crocus. 



Canun bulbocastanum Koch. Umbelliferae. pignut. 



Europe and Asia. The tuberous roots serve as a culinary vegetable and the frviit 

 as a condiment.' Lightfoot * says the roots are bulbous and taste like a chestnut; in some 

 p^rts of England they are boiled in broth and served at the table.* Pallas says the roots 

 are eaten by the Tartars. 



C. capense Sond. 



South Africa. The. edible, aromatic root is called feukel-wortel. 



C. carvi Linn, caraway, kummel. 



Europe, Orient and northern Asia. This biennial plant is described by Dioscorides 

 and mentioned by Galen. Pliny states that it derives its name from its native coimtry, 

 Caria, and that it is used chiefly in the culinary art. Caraway is now cultivated largely 

 for its seed in England, particularly in Essex, in Iceland where it is apparently wild," 

 in Morocco and elsewhere. The seeds are exported from Finland, Russia, Germany, 

 Prussia, North Holland and Morocco." The seeds are used in confectionery and distil- 

 lation. In England, the seed is used by cottagers to mix with their bread, and caraway- 



Sabine, J. Trans. Hort. Soc. Land. 5:456. 1824. 



Sabine, J. Trans. Hort. Soc. Lond. 5:455. 1824. 



Phillips, H. Camp. Kitch. Card. 2:202. 1831. 



Drury, H. Useful Ph. Ind. 116. 1873. 

 'Ainslie, W. Mat. Ind. 2: 36^. 1826. 



Parkinson ^ar. Terr. 329. 1904. (Reprint of 1629.) 

 ' Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. g^. 1891. 



' Lightfoot, J. Fl. Scot. 1:156. 1789. {Bunium bulbocastanum) 

 ' Pallas, P. S. Trav. Russia 2:189. 1803. (Bunium bulbocastanum) 



" Babington Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 11:310. 1871. 



" Fluckiger and Hanbury Pharm. 273. 1879. 



