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white flowers. As it has a strong flavour it is used as a spice or
preserved by drying
or in salt.
172. P olygonum maximowiczii, Re gel., Jap. Yanagitaiie
; an annual cultivated plant of the order Polygonaceae.
There are several varieties, some with narrow, and others with
broad leaves, which are purple or green. The kind here mentioned
is the green narrow leaved variety, and as it has a sharp acrid
property its young leaves are used in cooking. A kind called
Kawa-tade thrives well even in winter.
173. Polygomim maximowiczii, Regel., var., Jap.
KinsJii-tadc ; a variety of the former with fine narrow leaves.
There is a kind with purple leaves. They are also the same in
quality and use.
173. b. Actinidia polygama, Planck, Jap. Matatabi;
a deciduous climbing plant of the order Dilleniaceae growing wild
on mountains.
In summer it bears white flowers resembling those
of Prunus mume. Its leaves are eaten boiled, and also its
young
salted. Both have an acrid taste. Cats
fruits are eaten after being
are very fond of this plant.
174. Zingiber officinale, Rcscoe, Jap. Shoga, Hajikaini
; a perennial cultivated plant of the order Zingiberaceae
attaining a height of about 2 fts. The young shoots come forth
from the new roots produced from the old stocks. They are
very ornamental. Their red stems have an agreable aromatic
flavour and a slight acrid and pungent taste.
They are used for
various purposes in cookery. Its roots have a strong acid taste.
They are used as a condiment, and are also preserved in salt, sugar,
or syrup. They thrive well in warm regions where the roots are
sound and large with a good aromatic taste, while those cultivated
in cold regions are small and hard with numerous fibres.
Note. In the division of Leaf- vegetables Oe nan the stolonifera,
D.C. (58), Anilia cordiita, Tit. (61), and the flowers of Petasites
japonicus, Th. (67) and Allitim fistulosum, L. (SO) ;
in
the division of Flower- vegetables the flower of Zingiber Mioga,
Roscoc, and its
young shoots, young plants of Mentha arvensis, L.