STURTEVANT S NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 435 



Picraena excelsa Lindl. Simarubeae. bitter ash. quassia. 



West Indies. This tree yields the bitter wood known as Jamaica quassia. Brewers 

 are said to use the chips as a substitute for hops.' 



Picridium vulgare Desf. Compositae. french scorzonera. 



Europe and the Mediterranean region. This salad plant is cultivated in Italian 

 gardens, where it is much esteemed.^ It is also used somewhat in France ' and was intro- 

 duced intoEngland in 1882. It is also of recent introduction into French culture.* In 

 the United States, the species is noted by Burr,* 1863. The young leaves and the roots 

 are eaten.* 



Picris echioides Linn. Compositae. ox-tongue. 



Europe and north Africa. Johnson ' sajrs this plant has been used as a potherb when 

 in the young state. 



P. hieracioides Linn. 



Temperate Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The plant is used as a 

 potherb.* 



Pimenta officinalis Lindl. Myrtaceae. allspice, pimento. 



West Indies. The allspice tree is cultivated in the West Indies, where it is common. 

 The allspice, or pimento, berries of commerce are of the size of a small pea and in order 

 are supposed to resemble a combination of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. This tree 

 is also cultivated now in the East Indies. The seeds are used as a condiment.* 



Pimpinella anisum Linn. Umbelliferae. anise. 



Greece and Egypt. Anison was known to the ancient Greeks. Dioscorides says the 

 best came from Crete, the next best from Egypt. It is also mentioned by Theophrastus.'" 

 Pliny," in the first century, says " anesum, green or dry, is desirable in all seasonings or 

 sauces." The seeds, he says, are sprinkled in the under crust of bread and are used for 

 flavoring wine. He quotes Pythagoras as praising it whether raw or cooked. Palladius,*' 

 in the beginning of the third century, gives directions for its sowing. Charlemagne,'* 

 in the ninth century, commanded that anise should be sown on the imperial farms in 



' Masters, M. T. Treas. Bot. 2:886. 1870. (Picrasma excelsa) 

 ' Trans. Hort. Soc. Land. 6:583. 1826 

 ' Bon Jard. 549. 1882. 



* Noisette Man. Jard. 2:422. i860. 



' Burr, F. Field, Card. Veg. 390. 1863. 



Unger, P. U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt. 328. 1859. {Scorzonera picroides) 



' Johnson, C. P. Useful Pis. Gt. Brit. 143. 1862. (Helminthia echioides) 



Ibid. 



Don. G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 2:S66. 1832. 

 " Theophrastus Hist. PI. Bodaeus Ed. 744. 1644. 

 " Pliny lib. 20, c. 72. 

 " Palladius lib. 3, c. 24; lib. 4, c. 9. 

 " Fluckiger and Hanbury PAarw. 310. 1879. 



