218 
store of reserve-materials. It is the natural accumulations of these 
reserve-materials, whether in the fruit, the seed, the stem, the tuber, or 
the root, which mankind has learnt to appropriate and divert to its own 
d the flower is rarely available in this way. The use of Lily 
flowers by the Chinese, discussed in the Bulletin for May 1889, is 
scarcely an exception, as these are used as little more than a condiment. 
India, however, affords more than one instance of flower s having a real 
value as articles of food. The well-known ig tree (Bassia latifolia) 
is an example. Sir Dietrich Brandis states ( Forest Flora of North-west 
and Central India, p. 290) :—-* The Baot prios fall by night in 
i ered early i i 
eetmeats 
Another instance is afforded by the flowers of Calligonum poly- 
gonoides. Atten ep anther been drawn to the fact that the Kew 
useum containe specimen of n curious product, the following 
letter was peneme i the India Office 
Rovar GARDENS, Kew, to INpiA OFFICE. 
Royal Gardens, Kew, 
Sir, April 12, 1888. 
2. A oe of the plant is given "d Sir Dietrich Brandis in the 
Forest Flora of North-west and Central — p. 372, and by 
ark in A Manual of Indian Timbers, p. 3 
. Mr. Thiselton Dyer would be glad to obtain for the yt te of 
CUu Botany at Kew samples of the dried flowers of the plant in 
question, together with any pee of them in the form of A or 
otherwise which may be avai 
m, &c., 
(Signed) E D. Morris, 
J. A. Godley, Esq., C.B. 
InprA Orrick to Royat GARDENS, Kew. 
India Office, W B A "d ä 
Sir, 89. 
: 1TH reference to the letter from this Office of de TAth May 
1888, Is am directed by the Sec CIA of State for India to forward here- 
with, for your information, a cop a ote on an article of food 
prepared from the flowers of the Phog » ( lide polygonoides), by 
. J. F. Duthie, Director of the Botanical Department, Northern 
India, and to inform you that a tin case received from India, ene 
specimens of the above-mentioned plant has been sent to your addres 
am, &c., 
(Signed) C. E. BERNAR 
: Secretary, ym and 
Director, Statistics Depstiadt 
Royal Gardens, Kew. 
