528 sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



S. maculatus Linn, spotted golden thistle. 



Mediterranean region. This plant is thought by Unger ' to be the skolumos of 

 Dioscorides. The young leaves are eaten as a spinach. Fraas* says the young leaves 

 are eaten in Greece. 



Scoparia dulcis Linn. Scrophularineae. sweet broom. 



Peru and neighboring tropical America. The plant is called in Brazil basourinha 

 or vacourinha? In the Philippines, it is sometimes used as a substitute for tea and is 

 called in Tagalo chachachachan.* 



Scorpiurus sp. ? Leguminosae. caterpillars. 



A strange taste causes various species of Scorpiurus to be included among garden 

 vegetables, the caterpillar-like forms of the seed pods being used as salad-garnishing by 

 those fond of practical jokes. As a vegetable their flavor is very indifferent. The species 

 enimierated by Vilmorin are Scorpiurus vermiculata Linn., the common caterpillar; S. 

 muricata Linn., the prickly caterpillar; S. sulcata Linn., the furrowed caterpillar; and 

 5. subvillosa Linn., the hairy caterpillar. The latter species is figured by Dodonaeus, 

 1616, and is said even then to be sometimes grown in gardens. They are all native to 

 southern Europe. 



Scorzonera crocifolia Sibth. & Sm. Compositae. 



Greece. The leaves, according to Heldreich,* are used for a favorite salad and spinach. 



S. deliciosa Guss. 



Sicily. This species is in most extensive cultivation in Sicily on account of its sweet 

 roots of very grateful flavor.* It is considered by Mueller ' equal, if not superior, in its 

 culinary use to the allied salsify. 



S. hispanka Linn, black oyster plant, black salsify, viper's grass. 



Central and southern Europe. The slimy, sweetish roots have gained considerably 

 by ciiltivation. The roots are long, black and tapering and are eaten, boiled or stewed, 

 after soaking in water to extract the bitter taste. This plant was not mentioned by 

 Matthiolus,' 1554, but, in 1570, was described as a new plant, called by the Spaniards 

 scurzonera or scorzonera. In 1576, Lobel ' says the plant was in French, Belgian and English 

 gardens from Spanish seed. Neither Camerarius," 1586, nor Dalechamp," 1587, nor 



Unger, F. U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt. 358. 1859. 



'Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 187. 1879. 



' Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 740. 1879. 



* Ibid. 



'Mueller, P. Sel. Pis. 451. 1891. 



'Clark, B. Treas. Bot. 2:1041. 1870. 



' Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. 451. 189 1. 



' Matthiolus Comment. 558, 370. 1570; 409. 1598. 



Lobel Obs. 298. 1576. 



' Camerarius ^^Z. 314. 1586. 



" Dalechamp Hist. Gen. PI. (Lugd.) 1206. 1587. 



