Edible Plant Species

Gymnema lactiferum R. Br. Asclepiadeae. COW PLANT.
East Indies and Malay.
This is the cow plant of Ceylon, where it is said to yield a mild and copious milk.

Gymnocladus canadensis Lam. Leguminosae. CHICOT. KENTUCKY COFFEE-TREE. NICKER-TREE. STUMP TREE.
North America.
This tree, which occurs in the northern United States and in Canada, is often cultivated for ornamental purposes. The pods, preserved like those of the tamarind, are said to be wholesome and slightly aperient. The seeds were employed by the early settlers of Kentucky as a substitute for coffee.

Gynandropsis pentaphylla DC. Capparideae (Cleomaceae).
Cosmopolitan tropics.
This plant is a well-known esculent in the Upper Nile and throughout equatorial Africa as far as the Congo. In India, the leaves are eaten by the natives, and the seeds are used as a substitute for mustard and yield a good oil. In Jamaica, it is considered a wholesome plant but, from its being a little bitterish, requires repeated boilings to make it palatable.

Gynura sarmentosa DC. Compositae.
Malay.
In China, the leaves are employed as food.

Gyrophora muhlenbergii Ach. Lichenes. ROCK TRIPE.
Arctic climates.
Franklin says, when boiled with fish-roe or other animal matter, this lichen is agreeable and nutritious and is eaten by the natives.

G. vellea Linn. Ach. ROCK TRIPE.
Cold regions.
This lichen forms a pleasanter food than the other species of this genus.