202 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



but rarely to be seen even in the gardens of 

 the curious : thus a useful vegetable which 

 formed an article of trade in this country, is 

 now lost to us. 



It is a native of Egypt ; but Allioni enrols 

 it among the Italian plants, and it is said to 

 grow on the dry hills about Nice, so as to 

 justify his arrangement, as it would have been 

 difficult to prove whether it was only domes- 

 ticated or an aboriginal of those hills, had not 

 Pliny stated positively that it was confined 

 to Egypt, and not known in Italy before the 

 reign of Vespasian. 



It is a hardy annual plant, which grows to 

 three feet in height ; the flowers are capitate, 

 or artichoke-shaped, but throwing out saf- 

 fron-coloured chives instead of purple ; it has 

 also the smell of saffron, and was probably 

 used by the Spaniards to adulterate the 

 true sort. It is much used in Spain and in the 

 Levant as a culinary ingredient, as it formerly 

 was in this country ; but Parkinson says, that 

 it gives no relish to the soups, &c. to which it 

 is added, and is only used to give the yellow 

 colour, so agreeable to the eyes of the Spa- 

 niards. The seed, which was used in medi- 

 cine, is now quite disregarded. 



The flowers constitute a dyer's drug, that 



