STURTEVANT S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 415 



Petasites japonicus'F. Schmidt. Compositae. 



Sakhalin Islands. The young, tender petioles of the leaves are said by Penhallow 

 to be largely used by the Japanese of Yeso as a food. The native name is Juki. It is held 

 in high esteem among the Ainos, although devoid of flavor. The plants are cultivated 

 for their succulent petioles.' 



Peteria scoparia A. Gray. Legumino<;ae. 



New Mexico. This is a stout, spiny, suflruticose herb with a small, edible, tuberous 

 rootstock.^ 



Peucedanum ambiguiun Nutt. Umbelliferae. biscuitroot. breadroot. konse. 



Western North America. The root is called breadroot or biscuitroot by travelers 

 and konse by the Indians of Oregon and Idaho. The Canadians call it racine blanc. When 

 fresh, it is like the parsnip in taste and, as the plant dies, the root becomes brittle and very 

 white with an agreeable taste of mild celery. It is easily reduced to flour and is much 

 used for food.* 



P. farinosum Geyer. 



Western North America. The round to oblong, white root is gathered by the Oregon 

 Indians. 



P. foeniculaceum Nutt. 



Western North America. The roots are eaten by the Indians.* 



P. geyeri S. Wats. 



The tubers are an Indian food.' 



P. graveolens Benth. & Hook. f. dill. 



Europe and Asia. This hardy, biennial plant was introduced to Britain in 1570. 

 Masters says this is supposed to be the plant which is called arrise in the New Testament 

 narrative. Dill is commonly regarded as the anethon of Dioscorides and the anethum 

 of Pliny, Palladius and others. The name dill is found in writings of the Middle Ages, 

 and dill is spoken of as a garden plant in the early botanies. In England, it was called 

 dyll by Turner,' 1538, which proves its presence at that date. It also occurs in the 

 vocabulary of Alfric, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the tenth century.' Dill was in 

 American gardens before 1806.' It seems to be spontaneous in the far West as its roots 

 are used as food by the Snake and Shoshoni Indians, by whom it is called yampeh}" It is 



1 Penhallow, D. P. Amer. Nat. i(>:i20. 1882. 

 Havard, V. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 501. 1885 

 *U. S. D. A. Rpt.4.0T. 1870. 



Brown, R. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 9:380. 1868. 

 'Havard, V. Ton. Bot. Club Bui. 22:110. 1895. 



Masters, M. T. Treas. Bot. i:()f>. 1870. {Anethum graveolens) 

 ' Turner Libellus 1538. 



Fluckiger and Hanbury Pharm. 328. 1879. 



McMahon, B. Amer. Card. Cal. 199. 1806. 

 ' U. S. D.A. Rpt. 405. 1870. 



