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height of 5 8 inches. It is the vegetable of late spring and late
autumn and eaten boiled. It has a very sweet flavour. The
plant is dioecious, and care must be taken for collecting seeds in
distinguishing the fertile seeds.
56- b. Beta VUlgaris, L., Jap., Tqfisa, Fudanso ; a
biennial cultivated plant of the order Chenopodiaceae. The seeds
are sown twice in a year, in spring and autumn, and the leaves
are used as vegetables in all seasons of the year, whence the name
of Fudanso (everlasting herb). A variety with crimson tinted
leaves, stems, and roots is called Kwa-ycn-sai (Flame vegetable) or
Sangojuna (coral vegetable) and much used for the decoration of
dishes.
57. Sonecio sp., Jap. Suijeujina ; an evergreen herb
of the order Compositae. As it fears cold it is cultivated in hot
beds during winter, and in spring taken out and planted in open
ground. Its stalk attains a height of about 2 fts. In summer
and autumn its soft and sticky leaves are consumed as vegetable.
58. Oenanthe stolonifera, D.C., Jap. Seri; a perennial
marshy plant of the order Umbelliferce growing wild in
shallow water or any damp ground, and in late winter and spring
the leaves are consumed as vegatable. Those cultivated in swampy
ground Lave petioles above I ft. in
length.
59. Cryptotoenia canadensis, D.C., Jap. Mitsuba,
Mitsuba-jeri ; a perennial herb of the order Umbelliferae
but much cultivated from seeds or
growing wild in moist valleys,
by dividing the roots. In spring young leaves come forth to a
height of about 1 ft.
They are eaten boiled, and the roots can also
be eaten fried. One variety with fine thread-like petioles and
shooting in bushes to 8 10 inches high
is called Ito-mitsuba
(thread Hanewort).
6Q. Angelica sp., Jap.
A shitaba, HacJiijona ; a
triennial herb of the order Umbelliferae growing wild to a
height of about 4-5 fts. In the Island of Hachijo
it is
cultivated from seeds, and the youug leaves are consumed as