Edible Plant Species

Michelia champaca Linn. Magnoliaceac. CHAMPACA. FRAGRANT CHAMPACA.
Malay.
The fruit is said to be edible, and in India the tree is cultivated for the exquisite perfume of the flowers.

Micromeria (Satureia) Juliana Benth. Labiatae. SAVORY.
East Mediterranean region.
This savory is mentioned by Gerarde, 1597, as sown in gardens. It is a native of the Mediterranean countries, called in Greece, ussopo, in Egypt, pesalem. It has disappeared from our seed catalogs.

M. obovata Benth.
West Indies and introduced in Britain in 1783.
The species has two varieties. It was recorded by Burr, 1863, as in American gardens but as little used. It is said to be much used for seasoning in its native country. It is now recorded as in cultivation in Europe.

Microseris forsteri Hook. f. Compositae.
Australia and New Zealand.
This is the native scorzonera of tropical Australia and New Zealand. The root is used as a food by the aborigines. The roots are roasted by the natives and eaten. They have an agreeable taste.

M. sp.
This plant furnishes a small, succulent, and almost transparent root, full of a bitterish, milky juice. The root is eaten raw by the Nez Perce Indians.

Milium nigricans Ruiz & Pav. Gramineae.
Peru.
A drink called ullpu is obtained from the farina of the seeds.

Millettia atropurpurea Benth. Leguminosae.
A tree of Burma and Malay.
The tender leaves are said to be eaten.

Mimusops elata Allem. Sapotaceae. COW TREE.
Brazil.
To this species is referred the massaranduba, or cow tree, of the Amazon. Wallace says of it that the fruit is eatable and very good. It is the size of a small apple and full of a rich milk which exudes in abundance when the bark is cut. The milk has about the consistency of thick cream and, but for a very slight, peculiar taste, could scarcely be distinguished from the genuine product of the cow. Bates says the fruit is eaten in Para, where it is sold in the streets. The milk is pleasant with coffee but has a slight rankness when drunk pure; it soon thickens to a glue which is excessively tenacious. He was told that it was not safe to drink much of it. Herndon probably refers to this tree when he says he obtained from the Indians the milk of the cow tree, which they drink fresh, and, when brought to him in a calabash, had a foamy appearance as if just drawn from the cow and looked very rich and tempting. It, however, coagulates very soon and becomes as hard and tenacious as glue.

M. elengi Linn. MEDLAR.
East Indies and Malay.
This plant is cultivated on account of its fragrant, star-shaped flowers, which are used in garlands. The small, ovoid, one-seeded berry, yellow when ripe, about an inch long, is eaten, and oil is expressed from the seeds. Dutt says the fruits are sweetish and edible when ripe.

M. hexandra Roxb.
East Indies and south India.
This plant is commonly cultivated near villages. In Java, it is cultivated for its fruits which are eaten.

M. kauki Linn.
Burma, Malay and Australia.
This tree is found in gardens in Java. The fruit is edible. Dr. Hooker states that this tree is cultivated in China, Manila and Malabar for its esculent, agreeably acid fruit. It is the khirnee of India.

M. kummel Bruce.
Abyssinia.
This is the M'nyemvee of interior Africa, a lofty tree whose one-stoned, dry, orange-yellow or reddish fruit is sweet in taste.

M. manilkara G. Don.
Malabar and the Philippines.
This species is cultivated for its fruit, which is of the form and size of an olive and is succulent; the pulp is of a sweetish-acid flavor and contains but one or two seeds.

M. sieberi A. DC. NASEBERRY.
North America and West Indies.
The fruit is delicious and highly flavored.

Mitchella repens Linn. Rubiaceae. PARTRIDGE-BERRY. SQUAWVINE.
North America and Japan.
The insipid, red fruits are eaten by children.