392 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  11,  1899. 
SOME  LITTLE  KNOWN  COMESTIBLE 
PLANTS. 
Le  Potager  iVun  curieux  Ilistoire,  Culture  et  Usages  de  250  Plxintes 
comestibles,  pen  connues  ou  inconnues  Par  MM.  A.  Pallieux  et 
D.  Bojs. 
The  third  edition  of  this  work,  describing  iittle  known  edible 
plants  of  foreign  countries,  entirely  re-written,  with  eighty-two  figures,  has 
just  appeared  ;  so  it  has  been  thought  that  a  selection  from  the  plants 
described  might  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  readers  of  this  Journal  ; 
for  the  authors,  by  means  of  an  enormous  correspondence  with  official 
and  other  persons  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  have  collected  a  vast  array 
of  interesting  facts.  The  plants  are,  unfortunately,  arranged  alphabeti¬ 
cally,  so  that  if  one  wish  to  take  all  those  mentioned  of  any  particular 
natural  order  together,  it  involves  the  picking  out  the  different  genera 
separately  from  the  index.  Following  the  order  in  which  they  stand 
in  the  book,  we  come  to  : 
Aponogeton. — A.  distachyum  (Thunh),  a  native  of  the  Cape,  is 
quite  hardy  in  this  country.  It  has  a  remarkable  rhizome,  covered  with 
globular  tubercles.  Mueller  describes  it  as  being  naturalised  in 
Australia,  the  tubercles  being  edible  there,  while  the  flower- stalks 
supply  a  substitute  for  Spinach.  The  authors  think  the  tubers,  though 
fine  and  white,  are  too  compact,  and  carry  a  disagreeable  taste  of  the 
mud  in  which  they  lie.  They  might  be  used  for  the  starch  which  they 
contain.  A.  monostachyrm  (L.),  and  other  species  afford  a  food  much 
enjoyed  by  the  natives  of  India. 
Bambusa. — The  young  shoots  of  several  species  of  Bamboo  are 
eaten  in  Japan,  including  B.  Metake.  They  are  cooked  like  Asparagus 
or  pickled.  The  Chinese  dry  them  and  expert  them  largely  to  Man¬ 
churia  and  Mongolia.  Then,  after  being  soaked  in  hot  water,  they 
regain  their  former  size. 
Lappa. — The  “Bardane  du  Japon”  is  a  variety  of  our  own 
Burdock,  Arctium  Lappa  (A.).  This  is  said  to  be  eaten  in  Scotland, 
both  leaves  arid  young  shoots.  It  is  called  Goho  in  Japan,  and  is 
generally  cultivated.  The  figure  given  shows  long  Eadish-like, 
simple  and  branched  roots. 
Tropaolura. — T.  tuberosum  has  p3'riform  tubercles  resembling  a 
moderately  sized  Pear.  They  are  used  for  food  in  S.  America,  but 
Luropeans  fail  to  appreciate  them  in  consequence  of  their  being 
acrid  and  having  an  unpleasant  odour.  It  is  said  that  they  should 
be  frozen  and  then  cooked,  when  they  become  palatable. 
Claytoma. — C.  perfoliata  {Willd),  a  native  of  N.W.  America, 
is  spreading  and  becoming  naturalised  in  many  places  of  England.  It 
IS  an  annual,  with  connate  funnel-shaped  leaves.  It  is  described  as  a 
useful  plant  in  lieu  of  Spinach,  or  as  a  refreshing  salad. 
Cucumis. — C._  sativus  var.  sikkimensis  (Hook,  fit.').  The  Sikkim 
Cucumber  is  cultivated  in  all  India,  but  especially  in  Sikkim.  The 
milt  is  ovoid  like  a  Melon  or  Vegetable  Marrow,  and  has  five  placentas 
instead  of  the  usual  number,  three.  It  is  yellowish- w'hite  and  red  in 
colour,  and  might  prove  to  be  a  valuable  addition.* 
Stachys.  S.  aflfinis  (Ai/wye).  The  so-called  "Chinese  Artichoke” 
has  a  long  account.  It  is  cultivated  in  several  provinces  of  China,  but 
w  rarely  so  in  Japan.  It  is  now  much  grown  in  France.  It  cannot, 
however,  approach  the  Potato,  the  reason  probably  being  that  instead 
or  starch,  this  is  to  a  large  extent  represented  by  galactane,  of  a 
character  intermediate  between  starch  and  sugar.  This,  however,  renders 
it  more  assimilable  than  starch.  It  is  suggested  that  our  own  species 
b.  palustris,  of  which  S.  afifinis  may  be  only  a  variety,  might  be 
cultivated,  but  it  has  longer  rhizomes,  which  would  require  some 
amelioration,  as  they  are  bitter. 
Baphanus.  R.  sativus  (A.)  var.  "Daikon”  of  Japan.  Of  this 
adish  there  are  several  forms,  of  which  three  are  figured,  one  being 
rear-shape  1,  and  another  like  a  Cucumber.  The  figure  is  inch  in 
mngth  and  1  in  breadth,  while  the  latter  is  inches  in  length. 
Ihese,  however,  are  one  quarter  the  natural  size. 
Feemculum.  F,  dulce  (C.  BauK).  The  Sweet  Fennel  ot  Italy  is 
believed  to  have  been  introduced  there  from  the  Azores.  Earthed  up, 
e  broad  bases  of  the  leaves  become  white  and  tender.  One  dis¬ 
advantage  is  that  the  seed  degenerates,  and  must  be  secured  fresh  from 
Italy  every  year. 
•R  japonicus  (F,  Schmidt),  is  a  representative  of  our 
ijutter-bur.  It  is  much  eaten  by  the  Ainos  of  Japan.  They  use  the 
petioles,  roasted  or  boiled,  also  pickled  and  as  conserves.  The  flower 
n  ^  V  ^®fore  the  leaves,  like  those  of  our  species,  and 
+T,  Z  Coltsfoot,  are  also  eaten,  but  the  taste  is  rather  bitter, 
thOTgh  the  odour  is  pleasant.  The  authors,  however,  do  not  appear 
to  be  able  to  recommend  them. 
Mesembryanthemum.—M.  crystallinum'  (A.).  The  Ice  Plant  is  an 
old-fashioned  garnishing  plant,  ornamental  in  consequence  of  its 
minute  globular  water-glands,  which  give  it  a  cool  glistening  appear¬ 
ance.  The  tender  shoots  and  leaves  may  be  treated  like  Spinach,  and 
nave  an  agreeable  flavour  of  their  own. 
*  It  is  figured  in  "  Bot.  Mag.,”  January  1876,  pi.  7206. 
Phaseolus. —  This  genus  affords  many  Useful  specits,  besides  our 
Kidney  Beans,  Scarlet  Runner,  &c.  Thus  P.  Tunkinensis  (Lonreiro) 
is  cultivated  for  its  seeds  in  Cochin-China,  but  requires  a  higher 
temperature  than  France  or  England  can  supply.  P.  Ricciardianus 
(Tenore)  is  a  yellow-flowered  species  of  China,  remarkable  for  its 
extreme  fecundity,  but  is  rather  tasteless.  P.  Mungo  (A.)  has  many 
varieties.  It  is  of  Asiatic  origin,  and  generally  cultivated  in  India, 
Japan  and  China,  where  it  is  made  into  a  fine  vermicelli.  It  has 
been  grown  in  France  since  1878,  and  ripens  its  fruit  yearly. 
JDioscorea. — Numerous  species  of  this  genus  are  cultivated,  one  of 
which  is  the  well-known  Yam.  The  genus  is  indigenous  in  China, 
where  three  species  are  cultivated,  including  the  Yam,  D.  Batatas. 
D.  glabra  (Aoar?).),  is  cultivated  in  India  and  much  esteemed.  Of 
course  they  all  require  a  hotter  climate  than  England. 
Amorphophallus, — A.  Rivieri  (Darien).  This  Aroid  has  a  tuberous 
root  and  a  stem  carrying  three  much-divided  leaves.  It  is  nearly 
3  feet  in  height.  It  lorobably  originated  in  the  south  province  of 
Japan.  The  spadix  is  surrounded  by  a  red  spathe.  Stolons  arise 
from  the  eyes  in  the  tubers,  which  swell  at  their  extremities,  just  as 
Potatoes.  It  will  biar  fifteen  tubers. 
Erythronium. — E,  dens-canis,  the  Dog-toothed  Violet,  is  known  to 
all  lovers  of  spring  flowers ;  the  variety  of  which,  grandiflorum,  is, 
according  to  the  authors,  a  native  of  the  south  of  Western  Siberia, 
where  it  is  widely  collected  and  the  bulbs  are  eaten,  as  well  as  sent  to 
the  Court  of  St.  Petersburgh. 
Liliurn — Several  species  afford  edible  bulbs  in  Siberia  and. 
Kamtschatka — e  g.,  L.  tenuifolium  (A),  L.  Kamtschaticum,  L.  specta- 
bile  (Fisch).  L.  auratum  (Lindl.),  wild  in  Isles  lof  Nippon  and  about 
Yokohama,  affords  useful  (dible  bulbs.  So  also  does  L.  speciosum 
(Thunb.).  Other  edible  Lilies  are  L.  Thunbergianum  (E aimer  et 
Schultz),  L.  ticrinum  (Gciiiier),&c. 
TuUpa. — Numerous  Tulips  cover  the  Russian  steppes.  One  species 
common  by  the  Don,  allied  to  T.  suaveolens,  is  eagerly  sought  after 
as  edible  by  the  inhabitants,  but  they  never  eat  the  others.  Aitchison 
says  that  the  bulbs  of  T.  montana,  which  covers  the  arid  plains  ot 
Afghanistan,  are  also  eaten,  adding  that,  deprived  of  their  outer  skins, 
the  bulbs  are  sold  in  Bombay  as  "  Salep.”  This  name,  of  course, 
really  belongs  to  tbe  tuberous  roots  of  terrestrial  Orchids. 
Plecfantlirus  and  Coleus,  genera  best  known  to  us  for  their 
variegated  foliage,  have  also  edible  species.  Thus,  P.  tematus  (Sims') 
("Bot.  Mag.,”  t.  2460)  is  called  "Matambala”  in  Madagascar,  and 
furnishes  edible  tubercles,  which  yield  ten  to  twenty  for  each  one  sown. 
Coleus  tuberesus  (Benth),  is  cultivated  in  the  Malay  Archipelago  and- 
Ceylon.  Other  species  of  both  these  Labiates  are  elsewhere  cultivated. 
Lycopus.  —  L.  lucidus  (Turez),  allied  to  our  own  Gipsywoft 
(L.  europaeus)  has  tuberous  rhizomes,  which  are  used  by  the  Japanese. 
Sinapis. — S.  juncea  (A.),  var.  napiformis,  has  short  conical  and 
swollen  roots.  These  form  an  important  article  of  food  in  China. 
Nelumbium. — N.  speciosum  (Willd.),  the  Lotus  of  the  ancients,  is 
a  native  of  S.  Asia,  introduced  ages  ago  into  Egypt,  where  it  has 
since  become  extinct.  Both  the  rhizome  and  the  grains  are  eaten  in 
Japan ;  the  former  is  said  to  resemble  in  taste  the  Radish,  Cardoon, 
and  Celery  combined,  while  the  fruits  taste  like  Nuts  and  Almonds. 
Euryale. — The  only  species,  ferox,  of  this  genus,  represents  the 
Victoria  Regia  in  India.  Both  rhizome  and  grains  are  used  for 
starch. 
Nuphar. — N.  advenum,  the  N.  American  representative  of  our 
yellow  Water-Lily,  affords  a  rhizome  which  is  collected  by  Indian 
women  of  Dakota,  and  eaten  with  wild  birds,  and  also  stored  up  for 
winter  use. 
Nymphaa. — The  ancient  Egyptians  made  bread  of  the  seeds  of 
N.  Lotus  of  the  Nile,  the  rhizome  being  still  eaten  as  Potatoes. 
Oxalis. — 0.  creuata  (Jacq),  affords  the  tubers  of  an  orange  colour 
called  Oca.  It  was  first  imported  into  England  from  Lima,  South 
Americ.i,  in  1829.  The  leaves  can  replace  Sorrel. 
Brassica. — B.  chinensis  (A),  the  Chinese  Cabbage,  is  much  culti-; 
vated  and  highly  esteemed ;  it  grows  like  a  Kale,  refusing  to  form  jv 
head.  It  is  of  great  use  in  dry  seasons  in  Bourbon,  since  it  resists 
drought  more  than  any  other  similar  culinary  plant. 
Lactuca,  L.  sativa,  vars. — Lettuces  from  the  Pamir.  These  would 
seem  to  be  likely  to  prove  useful  additions  to  our  stock.  The 
principal  stem  grows  slowly,  in  consequence  of  the  numerous  side 
shoots  which  surround  it.  These  are  taken  off,  and  furnish  an 
abundance  of  excellent  salad. 
Crocus. — C.  cancellatus  (Herb.).  This  is  eaten  in  Persia,  the  corms 
of  which  are  said  to  taste  like  Chestnuts. 
Sagittaria. — Varieties  of  our  Arrowhead,  S.  sagittsefolia  (A.),  are 
grown  in  China  for  the  globular  tubercles.  They  are  odorous  and 
aromatic,  though  possessing  a  bitter  milky  juice.  This  is  dissipated 
when  boiled. 
Besides  the  preceding  the  authors  describe  numerous  species  of 
Solanum  and  Physalis,  and  a  large  number  of  genera  of  Cucurbitaceae ; 
but  the  plants  mentioned  are  of  those  genera  with  which  our  readers 
would  most  likely  be  familiar. — George  Henslow.' 
