372 



Johnson : ' Good King Henry.' 



Loudon, and, in default, the virtues of the royal vegetable 

 are unsung. 



The distribution of Good King Henry in a wild state has 

 always been a puzzle to me, and for a long time I have 

 suspected that in Eastern England, at least, it is an introduced 

 plant. On referring to Watson {Cybele Brit.) it was seen that 

 that illustrious botanist also questioned its nativity. It is 

 labelled 'viatical.' 'Many of its stations may consequently 

 have originated from gardens. Perhaps it would better be 

 referred to the English type of distribution and be treated as 

 a species not indigenous beyond the Grampians, if native any- 

 where beyond the Highland provinces.' Again [Top. Botany), 

 he says, ' The indigenousness of this plant is looked upon 

 with doubt, more especially so in Scotland, where few writers 

 declare it truly native.' Dr. W. Rhind would seem to assume 

 that Marquery is native, for he speaks of the ' superior 

 docility' of spinach which has been long under cultivation, 

 whereas 'Good King Harry,' 'which makes a very estimable 

 spinach or asparagus in its native country, might make but a 

 very sorry one if removed to a place where it is not indigenous.' 

 Assuming that Britain is here intended to represent the native 

 place of the plant, we must set against this implication Hooker's 

 statement that Marquery is distributed in Europe and Siberia, 

 but is introduced in North America. Incidentally it may be 

 remarked that a fore-elder of the present writer, finding the 

 plant absent in California half-a-century ago, introduced it to 

 San Francisco, with what results cannot be now ascertained. 

 Bentham gives the habitat thus : ' On waste grounds, near 

 villages and sheepfolds, in the mountain districts of Europe and 

 Russian Asia, except the extreme north. In Britain, chiefly 

 on roadsides near villages and dwellings, but in many places 

 introduced only, having been formerly much cultivated as a pot 

 herb.' Hooker's habitat is much the same: 'Waste places, 

 often near houses.' Babington's is but slightly varied : ' Waste 

 places, near villages.' 



Now, it is the tendency just alluded to, the affection for 

 villages, sheepfolds, farm-buildings, and the bases of church- 

 yard walls, which forms the suspicious feature about the 

 occurrence of Good King Henry. Without pressing the argu- 

 ment too far, a marked and constant attachment for such 

 neighbourhoods frequently points to alienism. Thus, the Com- 

 mon Wallflower {^Cheiranthus Cheiri), a regular denizen of old 

 castle walls, is commonly deemed to be a foreigner of rather 



Naturalist, 



