328 STURTEV ant's NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 



L. ochrus DC. 



Mediterranean countries. This is a species of pea mentioned as cultivated by Phanias 

 of Eresus * and Clemens Alexandrinus.' It is enumerated among the esculent plants 

 of Egypt by Alpinus.' Perhaps this is the pea exhumed by Dr. Schliemann * in a carbonized 

 state from the ruins of ancient Greece. 

 L. sativus Linn, chickling vetch. 



Europe, north Africa and the Orient. This vetch is an annual forage herb, the pods 

 of which are available for culinary purposes. It is superior, according to Langethal, to 

 vetches in quality of fodder and seed but is less productive.' The flour from the peas 

 makes a pleasant bread but is unwholesome; its use in the seventeenth century was for- 

 bidden in Wiutemburg by law. The peasants, however, eat it boiled or mixed with wheat 

 flour in the quantity of one-fourth without any harm.* In many parts of France the seed 

 is used in soups.'' 



This, in many regions, is a forage-plant rather than a vegetable;' but in the south 

 and southwest parts of Europe, as in Italy and Spain and also in Turkey ' and India," 

 \t is grown for the use of the seed in soups,'* as well as in the manner of green peas.'^ This 

 vetch has been cultivated in southern Europe from a remote period and is mentioned 

 by Columella " and Palladius." According to Heuze," it came from Spain into France 

 in 1640; but this must refer to some variety, for it appears to have been well known to the 

 herbalists of the sixteenth century, as Dodonaeus,'* 1556, and others. It was included 

 among American vegetables by Burr, 1863, who mentions two varieties, the one with dun, 

 the other with white, seeds. This latter form was mentioned by Bauhin, 1623. 

 L. tuberosus Linn, dutch mice, earthnut pea. 



Northern Old World and Uralian plains. In Holland, Don " says, the plant is culti- 

 vated for its roots, which are eaten there. Johnson '* says in Holland and Germany the 

 roots are roasted as food. Pallas " says they are eaten by the Kalmucks. These tubers 

 are small but amylaceous and are sometimes called Dutch mice. 



Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 345. 1879. {Pisum ochrus) 

 2 Ibid. 

 Ibid. 



* Schliemann Amer. Antiq. 66. 1880. 

 5 Mueller, F. Set. Pis. 252. 1891. 

 Don, G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 2:335. 1832. 

 ^ Bon Jard, 603. 1882. 



* Decaisne and Naudin Man. Jard. 4:316. 1865. 

 Heuze, G. Pis. Aliment 2:414. 1873. 



"Birdwood Veg. Prod. Bomb. 120. 1865. 



" Bon Jard. 603. 1882. 



" Noisette Afo. /ard. 2:377. i860. 



" Columella lib. 2, c. 11. 



" Palladius lib. 4, c. 6. 



" Heuze, G. Pis. Aliment 2:^1^. 1873. 



" Dodonaeus Frumen/. 113. 1556. 



" Don, G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 2:332. 1832. 



' Johnson, C. P. Useful Pis. Gt. Brit. 83. 1862. 



" Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 670. 1879. 



