MISCELLANEOUS FOOD-PRODUCTS 



107 





Fio. 115, I.— Cacuf iTh 

 The plant io :i. tir< 

 flowers whieh siJiiii, 

 yellowish, oraiig( , oi l>rn\iii h fruit , 

 (Baillon.) 



ihumi ( n I SiU Cotton 1 amily, Stercvliacew) . 



-1)111 till "\\itlj shinine If ^^ PS and brownish-red 



fi 111 thi triiiil aid older branches, and produce 



1 nicwhat resembling a squash. 



ocean, is used for food, general!}' in a sort of pudding, some- 

 what as tapioca. The whole plant is cooked, after having 

 being dried and l^leached in the sun at the time of gathering. 

 The principal chemical constituent (see chart) is a mucilagi- 

 nous carbohydrate which swells greath' in water and gives to 

 Irish moss blanc-mange its jelly-like character. 



Finally must be mentioned as widely cultivated for food 

 the common field mushroom (Fig. 119) which, as the chart 

 will show, compares favorably with many vegetables in the 

 percentage of nutritious constituents. The statement is 

 freciuently mtide, however, by writers who ought to be better 



