228 STURTEVANT'S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS, 



century. It was thence carried to Florence in 1466 and at Venice, Ermolao Barbaro 

 who died as late as 1493, knew of only a single plant grown as a novelty in a private garden, 

 although it soon after became a staple article of food over a great part of the peninsula. 

 In France, three varieties are commonly grown. It seems to have been unknown in 

 England, says Booth,' until introduced from Italy in 1 548 and is even now but little grown 

 there, yet in France it is highly esteemed. In the United States, in 1806, McMahon* 

 mentions two species, C. scolymus, or French, and C. hortensis, or Globe. Of the second, 

 he mentions two varieties. In 1818, the artichoke is mentioned by Gardiner and Hepburn 

 and also by John Randolph ' of Virginia; in 1828, by Fessenden; * and in 1832 by Bridge- 

 man,' who names two kinds. In 1828, Thorbum ' offers in his catalog the seeds of the 

 Green Globe and in 1882 of the French Green Globe and the Large Paris. The parts 

 used are the lower parts of the leaves or scales of the caljoc and the fleshy receptacles of 

 the flowers freed from the bristles and seed down. In France, where it is much esteemed, 

 the tender, central leaf-stalk is blanched and eaten like cardoons. 



The most prominent distinction between varieties as grown in the garden, is the 

 presence or absence of spines. Although J. Bauhin,' 1651, says that seed from the same 

 plant may produce both sorts, probably this comes from cross-fertilization between the 

 kinds, and the absence or presence of spines is a true distinction. Pragus describes both 

 forms in 1552, as do the majority of succeeding writers. 



A second division is made from the form of the heads, the conical-headed and the 

 globe. 



I. 

 Conical-headed. 



Of the varieties sufficiently described by Vilmorin, four belong to this class and 

 they are all spiny. This form seems to constitute the French artichoke of English writers. 

 The following synonymy seems justifiable: 



Scolymus. Trag. 866. 1552. cutnic. 



Carduus, vulgo Carciofi. I. Matth. 322. 1558. 



Carduus aculeatus. Cam. Epit. 438. 1586. cum ic; Matth. ed. of 1598. 496. cum ic. 



Thistle, or Prickly Artichoke. Lyte's Dod. 603. 1586. 



Cinara sylvestris. Ger. 291. 1597. fig. 



Carduus sive Scolymus sativus, spinosos. Bauh. J. 3:48. 1651. cum ic. 



Artichokes, Violet. Quintyne 187; 1693; 178. 1704. 



Conical-headed Green French. Mawe 1778. 



French Artichoke. Mill. Diet. 1807; Amer. Gard. Books 1806, 1819, 1828, 1832, etc. 



Vert de Provence. Vilm. 16. 1883. 



De Roscojff. Vilm. 1. c. 



De Saint Laud oblong. Vilm. 1. c. 



Sucre de Genes. Vilm. 1. c. 



Booth, W.B. Trees. Bot. 1:372. 1870. 

 'McMahon, B. Amer. Gard. Cat. 196. 1806, 

 'Randolph, J. Treat. Gard. 1818. 



* Fessenden New Amer. Gard. 18. 1828. 



' Bridgeman Young Gard. Asst. ^i. 1857. 



Thorbiirn Co/. 1828. 

 'Bauhjn, J. Hist. PI. y.i\&. 1651. 



