STURTEVANT S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 34I 



is a tolerable frtut, not delicate nor pleasant, though sweet rather than sour, and not 

 known to be unwholesome, but it is coarse food. It is about the size and shape of an 

 orange and has a kernel in the center very like a chestnut in color and size but not good 

 to eat, being bitter." 



L. serpentaria H. B. & K. 



Cuba. This is a doubtful species foimd in Cuba; the fruit is edible.' 



L. turbinati Molina. 



Chile. This species is cidtivated in Chile. The fruit has the form of a whipping-top. 

 By keeping in straw, it ripens into a much-esteemed fruit.^ 



Luffa acutangula Roxb. Cucurbitaceae. strainer vine. 



Old World tropics. This plant is cultivated in India for food purposes and is said 

 by Drury ' to be one of the best of the native vegetables and to be much used in curries. 

 Roxburgh says that, when the fruit is boiled and dressed with butter, pepper and salt, 

 it is little inferior to green peas. This club-shaped gourd, about 10 or 12 inches long, is 

 eaten boiled or pickled, but the taste is insipid, says Don.* This is the papefigaye of 

 the negroes of Africa, says Oliver,' and presents bitter and poisonous, as well as edible 

 varieties. 



L. aegjrptiaca Mill, bonnet gourd, dish-cloth gourd, loop. 



Old World tropics. This species is ctiltivated for its fruit throughout tropical Africa.' 

 It is the sooly-qua of the Chinese, a club-shaped, wrinkled gotird, said to be eaten. It 

 is cultivated for food purposes in India, where it is called ghia.'' It is considered by the 

 natives of Burma a delicious vegetable.' The interior, netted fibers, under the name 

 loof, are used in Turkish baths for fleshrubbers. The plant is grown as a curiosity in 

 American gardens. 



Lunaria annua Linn. Crucijerae. bolbonac. honesty, penny flower. 



Europe. " The seed of the bolbonac is a temperature hot and dry and sharpe of 

 taste and is like in taste and force to the seed of treacle mustard, the roots likewise are 

 somewhat of a biting quality but not much: they are eaten with sallads as certain other 

 roots are." ' 



Lupinus albus Linn. Leguminosae. field lupine, wolf-bean. 



Mediterranean region. This plant has been cultivated since the days of the ancient 

 Egyptians. It was cultivated by the Romans as a legtmie but does not seem to have 



'Don, G. Hisl. DiM. Pis. 4:34. 1838. 



* Molina. Hisl. Chili i:i2g. 1808. 



' Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 41$. 1879. 



* Don, G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 3:29. 1834. 

 'Oliver, D. Fl. Trap. Afr. 2:530. 1871. 



* Ibid. 



'Royle, J. F. Illuslr. Bol. Himal. 1:218. 1S39. 



' Pickering, C. Chron. Hisl. Pis. 818. 1879. {L. pentandra) 



' Gerarde, J. Herb. 465. 1633. 



