THE ECONOMIC PLANTS OF JAPAN. 



715 



succulent stems, which are said to be an agreeable 

 vegetable. 



Cynara Scolymus, L. ; Jap. Chiozen-azaini. (Arti- 

 choke.) This old and well-known vegetable from south- 

 ern Europe and northern Af- 

 rica is also grown in Japan. 

 It is, however, rarely seen. 

 There, as here, it is the recep- 

 tacle and scales of the flower- 

 beds which are used. 



Eritrichium pedunculare, 

 De C. [^E. Japoniciim, Miq.); 

 Jap. Tabiraku, Kawarake-na. 

 The leaves of this wild herb 

 are occasionally eaten as 

 greens in early spring. The 

 plant is low, spreading, rather 

 rough, with alternate, sessile, 

 obovate leaves and small, 

 blue flowers in a false raceme. 



Gnaphalium multiceps, 

 Wall. (G. arenarium, Thunb. ; 

 G. lutea-album, L., var. imil- 

 ticeps, Hook.); Jap. Hahako- 

 gusa. The young leaves are 

 boiled and used in the same 

 manner as the Yoviogi, in be- 

 ing added to glutinous rice 

 from which cakes are made. 

 It is a low plant, some ten or 

 twelve inches high, with ses- 

 sile leaves covered with white 

 wool and yellow flowers in 

 clusters on top of the stem. 



The common Lettuce, Jap. 

 Chisa, Chishia, has been in- 

 troduced and is cultivated 

 about the open ports, chiefly 

 for the markets of foreigners. 

 I have never seen it in the 



interior. This seems to indicate that it is not very gen- 

 erally popular among the natives. 



Lampsana apogonoides, Maxim.; ]&'p.Ko-oiti-/abirake. 

 A small herb growing wild by the roadsides. The 

 radical oblong leaves are deeply and irregularly cleft. 

 In the province of Mino, and perhaps other places, 

 poor persons gather the leaves and boil them as greens. 



Leucocasia GiGANTEA, Scott. ; Jap. Hasii-imo. This 

 member of the aroideas is grown for its leaf stalks, 

 varieties having been developed with crisp and tender 



stalks. It is a semi-tropical plant and is grown main- 

 ly in the south. It resembles the colocasia, but is 

 much taller, the leaf stalks reaching five or six feet in 

 height. The stems are either boiled or served green, 



Improvements Suggested for a Correspondent's Grounds. 

 See " Taste and Tact" series, page 716. 



cut in slices, as a salad, with raw fish and other 

 dishes. 



Lycium Chinense, Mill. (Z. barbatum, Thunb.) ; 

 Jap. Oiii-giikv, Kiiko. A bush growing wild in the 

 mountains, with small oval leaves, usually clustered 

 about a small spine. Flowers small purple, disposed 

 singly in the axils of the leaves. The young leaves are 

 gathered and used for greens. I have seen two forms of 

 this bush, one having spines and the other none. 



C. C. Georgeson. 



{Mark then, _ve hushandman, the curious thought 

 Each several plant, after its kind, doth ask. 



— Virgil. 



