356 sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



M. lutea Lindl. 



Brazil. This species, originally from Brazil, has yellow flowers.' It does not appear 

 to be in American gardens nor is its seed advertised by our seedsmen. It reached Evirope 

 in 1824.* It is described by Vilmorin as under kitchen-garden culture. 



M. proboscidea Glox. martynia. unicorn plant. 



Southwestern North America and now naturalized in northeastern America. Martynia 

 is in cultivation in our gardens for its seed-pods, which when young are used for pickling. 

 These seed-pods are green, very downy or hairy, fleshy, oval, an inch and a half in their 

 greatest diameters and taper to a long, slender, incurved horn or beak. It is mentioned 

 under American cultivation in 1841.' Martynia was known in England as a plant of 

 ornament in 1738 ^ but has, even yet, scarcely entered the kitchen-garden. 



Marumia muscosa Blimie. Mclastomaceae. 



Java. Refreshing drinks are prepared from the berries.* 



M. stellulata Blume 



Siunatra and Java. Refreshing drinks are prepared from the berries.* 



Matisia cordata Humb. & Bonpl. Malvaceae, chupa-chupa. sapota. 



A tree of New Granada.' The oval fruit, about five inches long and three inches 

 broad, in taste has been compared to an apricot or to a mango. It is sold in the markets 

 of New Granada and Peru.' 



Matthiola incana R. Br. Crttciferae. stock. 



Mediterranean region. This plant is eaten in time of famine.' 



M. livida DC. 



Egypt and Arabia. This plant is eaten in time of famine.'" 



Mauritia flexuosa Linn. f. Palmae. ita palm, tree-of-life. 



Tropical South America. The tree-of-life of the missionaries, says Himiboldt," not 

 only affords the Guaraons a safe dwelling during the risings of the Orinoco, but its fruit, its 

 farinaceous pith, its juice, abounding in saccharine matter, and the fibers of its petioles 

 furnish them with food, wine and thread. The fruit has somewhat the taste of an apple 

 and when ripe is yellow within and red without. The sago of the pith is made into a bread. 



' Vilmorin Lei Pis. Potag. 330. 1883. 

 ' Noisette Man. Jard. 537. 1829. 



Kenrick, W. New Amer. Orch. 373. 1841. 



Gard. Chron. 60S. 1843. 



' Baillon, H. Hist. Pis. 7:35. 1881. 



Ibid. 



' Jackson, J. R. Treas. Bot. 2:i$i6. 1876. 



Smith, J. Diet. Econ. Pis. 116. 1882. 



Baillon, H. Hist. Pis. 3:222. 1874. Note. 

 Ibid. 



" Humboldt, A. rrati. 1:331; 2:107; 3:9. 1889. 



