56o sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



Styrax benzoin Dryand. Styraceae. benzoin, storax. 



Malay. This plant fiimishes gum benzoin, used for flavoring by chocolate manu- 

 facturers. That from Siam is preferred. 



Suaeda maritima Dimi. Chenopodiaceae. sea-blite. 



Temperate regions. Roxburgh ^ says the leaves are eaten by the natives of India 

 and considered very wholesome. Graham * says the leaves are eaten about Bombay. 



Symphoricarpos racemosus Michx. Caprifoliaceae. snowberry. 



North America. The fruit is eaten by the Indians of Oregon and Washington.' 



Symphytum ofBcinale Linn. Boragineae. boneset. comfrey. 



Europe and adjoining Asia. The leaves, when young, form a good green-vegetable 

 and are not infrequently eaten by country people. They are sometimes used to flavor 

 cakes and other culinary preparations.^ The blanched stalks form an agreeable asparagus.* 



Symplocos alstonia L'H^rit. Styraceae. 



New Granada. According to Gardner,* the leaves are employed as a tea substitute,^ 

 and an infusion of one of the species is used likewise in Brazil. 



Tabemaemontana utilis Am. Apocynaceae. cow tree, hya-hya. 



Guiana. From an incision in the bark is obtained a good flow of thick, white, creamy 

 sap of a rich, nutty flavor, but Brown ' says a little of it goes a long way. Brandis ' calls 

 it a thick, sweet, nutritious milk. 



Tacca dubia Schult. f. Taccaceae. tacca. 



Malayan Archipelago. It is used as tacca." 



T. palmata Blume. tacca. 



Java. This is one of the taccas of the Malayan Archipelago which furnishes a food- 

 fecula." 



T. pinnatifida Forst. pia. salep. tacca. 



Asia and African tropics and islands of Pacific. ' The tubers of the tacca furnish a 

 mealy nutriment to the inhabitants of the Society Islands and the Moluccas, where the 

 plant is found both wild and in a state of cultivation. In the latter case, the tuberous 



Drury, H. VseftU Ph. Ind. 377. 1873. 



' Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 5i(). 1879. {Salsola indica) 

 >U. S. D. A. Rpt. 415. 1870. 



Johnson, C. P. Useful Pis. Gi. Brit. 182. 1862. 

 ' Loudon, J. C. Hort. 673. i860. 



Smith, A. Treas. Bot. 2:1115. 1870. 

 ' Don, G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 4: i. 1838. 

 "Brown, C.B. Camp Life Brit. Guiana i^6. 1877. 

 Brandis, D. Forest Fl. 322. 1874. 



" Royle, J. P. ' Illustr. Bot. Himal. 1:377. 1839. 

 "Rumphius Herb. Ambon. 5:330 t. 115. 1750. 



