STURTEV ant's NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 48 1 



Q. garryana Dougl. western oak. 



Western North America. The acorns fitmish the Indians with food and are stored 

 by them for future use.' 



Q. ilex Linn, ballota, belloot or belote oak. holly oak. 



Mediterranean region and the Orient. From varieties of this tree, says Mueller,'' 

 are obtained the sweet and nourishing ballota and chestnut acorns. Figuier ^ says this 

 species is common in the south of France, and that the acorns are sweet and eatable. 

 Brandis * says the acorns form an important article of food in Spain and Algeria. The 

 acorns are eaten in Barbary, Spain and Portugal vmder the name of belote. In Arabia, 

 also, they are eaten cooked, and an oil is extracted from them.' In Palestine, they are 

 sold in all the bazaars.* 



Q. lobata N^e. California white oak. 



California. The acorns form a large proportion of the winter food of the Indians 

 of North California.^ The acorns, from their abundance and edible nature, form a very 

 important part of the subsistence of the Digger Indians and are collected and stored for 

 winter use.* 



Q. michauxii Nutt. basket oak. cow oak. 



North America. The large, sweet, edible acorns are eagerly devoured by cattle and 

 other animals.' 



Q. oblongifolia Torr. evergreen oak. live oak. 



California and New Mexico. This species furnishes the Indians of the West with 

 acorns for food use.'" 



Q. persica Jaub. et Spach. manna oak. 



Persia. The acorns are eaten in southern Europe " and, in southern Persia, afford 

 material for bread. The leaves also furnish a manna.'^ In olden times, as we read in 

 Homer and Hesiod, the acorn was the common food of the Arcadians. There is, however, 

 much reason to suppose that chestnuts, which were named in the times of Theophrastus 

 and Dioscorides Jupiter acorns and Sardian acorns, are often alluded to when we read 

 of people having lived on acorns in Europe; and, in Africa, dates are signified, because 

 they were likewise called by Herodotus and Dioscorides acorns and palm-acorns. Bar- 



^U. S. D.A. Rpt. 409. 1870. 

 'Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. 194. 1876. 

 Figuier Veg. World 3$^. 1867. 

 * Brandis, D. Forest Fl. 481. 1874. 

 ' Masters Treoi. Bo/. 951. 1870. {Q.hallota) 

 'Smith, J. Dom.Bot. 218. 1871. 

 'MueUer, F. Set. Pis. 405. 1891. 

 ' Fluckiger and Hanbury Pharm. 372. 1879. 

 'Sargent U. S. Census g:ii^i. 1884 

 ' U. S. D. A. Rpt. 409. 1870. 

 " Unger, P. U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt. 314. 1879. 

 " Fluckiger and Hanbury Pharm. 372. 1879. 

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