in the tropics than in the United States. Most of them are 

 found in the mountainous regions and not along the coasts. 



Frequently many parts of a plant may be eaten including its 

 fruit, seeds, tender leaves, and roots. The text contains in- 

 formation on the special preparation of unripe fruits, methods 

 of cooking flowers and greens, and other information needed to 

 prevent starvation. 



Fruits (mango, breadfruit, papaw, wild cherry, etc.) are im- 

 portant sources of vitamin C. Green and yellow food plants also 

 are sources of vitamin C as well as of carotene, the precursor of 

 vitamin A. Fleshy roots (dasheen, yam, cassava) contain 

 starch and other carbohydrates and are fair sources of energy 

 when eaten in sufficient quantity. Fleshy fruits such as the 

 avocado are frequently rich in fat, while seeds are usually rich 

 in protein and fat. 



Advice of natives. — In all parts of this region the natives know 

 both the wild and cultivated plants which may be used as food. 

 Fruits and vegetables found in the village and city markets pro- 

 vide an excellent means of quickly learning which plants may 

 be eaten with complete safety. 



In using the identification tables the following steps are to be 

 taken: 



L Determine whether the plant part you wish to identify is 

 a fruit, root, seed, or leaf. 



2. Turn to the section of the manual describing this plant 

 part, as fruits (section II), roots (section III), and so on. 

 CAUTION: Do not fail also to look in the section concerning 

 poisonous plants. 



3. Note the color of the part of the plant you are trying to 

 identify and locate that color in the first column. The second 

 column indicates the part of the plant that is colored. You now 

 have identified the color and the part, as purple flower, red stem, 

 and so on. 



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