8 



THE ECONOMIC PLANTS OF JAPAN. 



has been in use as a vegetable from ancient times. In 

 spring and early summer it appears in market, tied in 

 little handfuls, each bundle selling for a fraction of a 

 cent. Only the young leaves are used, but commonly 

 the whole plant is pulled and bundled, roots and all. 

 The seed is sown thickly early in spring ; and when up, 



-Helw 



The stem is diffused, and 

 ridged or furrowed. The leaf 

 resembles that of the parsnip, 

 and has a long, hollow peti- 

 ole. It is used for greens, 

 salad, and as a condiment for 

 lavoring, being somewhat 

 aromatic and of a pungent 

 flavor. 



Petasites Japonicus, Miq. 

 (/". spiirius, Miq.; Tussilago Yig. 

 petasites, Thunb. ; Nardosmia 

 Japonica, Sieb. and Zucc); 



Jap., Fitki, Yesso-biiki, Shibiiki. A giant species of pet- 

 asites, wild in shaded moist places, especially in the 

 north, and cultivated about as we grow rhubarb. The 

 leaf-stalks, the very young leaves, and the flower- 

 buds are all used as vegetables. The yellow flowers 

 appear before the leaves, on short, bracted scapes six 

 inches tall. The buds are used for salad. They have 

 a bitter though not unpleasant taste. In the same way 

 the very young leaves, before they unfold, are some- 



BOLTONIA CaNTONIENSIS. 

 (YOMENA. ) 



times picked and eaten. The leaf-stalks constitute the 

 most important part. These are gathered from wild 

 plants wherever found, and quantities may be seen in 

 market during the early summer. They are not unlike 

 rhubarb, but larger, of a dull green, and covered with a 

 white down. The plant has been cultivated for centur- 

 ies, and several varieties have been developed, which 

 are classed in three groups after the color of the stalks 

 — green, red and white — the white-stalked being the 

 best. I was assured that in certain cool, shady places, 

 with rich moist soil, the leaves reach a height of fifteen 

 feet. I have seen leaf-stalks six feet tall and four and 

 one-half inches in diameter. A common mode of cooking 

 IS to peel and boil them, when they are served with 

 slioyii (sauce made from the soja bean) and eaten with 

 rice. They are also sliced and candied, when they are 

 said to be good for colds. I was treated to some excel- 

 lent candied fuki of this description at a farm-house. 



It might be worth 

 somebody's while to 

 try their culture in 

 the north, and then 

 induce the chef de 

 cuisine ot some fash- 

 ionable eating-house 

 t o experiment i n 

 cooking them. If 

 successful, they 

 would soon become 

 popular. 



Senecio K/emp- 

 FERi, De C. ( Tussil- 

 ago Japonica, Lin. ; 

 Farfugium Kce m p- 

 feri, B e n t h. ; F. 

 grande, Lindl.; Lig- 

 tilaria Kicmpferi, S. 

 Tsmvahuki. A coarse per- 

 with stiff, radical leaves, 

 orbicular, shining above, 

 eaf-stalk round and thick. 

 Wild in central and southern Japan. It 

 is occasionally cultivated for its leaf- 

 stalks, which are used like those of fuki. 

 They are best when taken before the 

 leaves unfold, while tender, and should 

 be steeped in water for a couple of hours 

 before using, to remove a disagreeable 

 odor. It is a rather striking scenic plant, 

 growing three feet high, and is sometimes 

 cultivated for that purpose. 



SiUM NiNSi, L.; Jap., Mukgo-ninjin. A perennial 

 plant of rather stiff upright growth, with a round stem, 

 attaining a height of three or four feet. The plant has 

 a pleasant aromatic odor and taste, reminding one of 

 celery, though the odor is not' strong. The upper leaves 

 are trifoliate, the lower ones often pinnately five-foliate. 

 Leaflets narrow, one or two inches long, with serrate 

 margin ; petioles long, with a deep groove on the upper 



