Edible Plant Species

Oncoba spinosa Forsk. Bixineae (Flacourtiaceae).
Tropical Africa and Arabia.
This is a large tree called in Yemen onkob. The fruit is eaten by boys.

Oncocarpus vitiensis A. Gray. Anacardiaceae.
Fiji Islands.
The fleshy disk of the fruit, which is of a beautiful red when ripe, is much esteemed by the Fijians, who use it extensively bruised in water and fermented into a liquor resembling cider. The kernel, when boiled, is edible.

Oncosperma filamentosum Blume. Palmae. NIBUNG PALM.
Malay.
This is the nibung of the Malays. The heart, or cabbage, is delicately white with a very sweet, nutty flavor. Adams says the cabbage is certainly a most delicious vegetable and, when boiled, resembles asparagus or kale; in its raw state, it furnishes fictitious cucumbers and an excellent salad.

Oncus (Dioscorea) esculentus Lour. Dioscoreaceae.
India.
Royle says this plant has large, farinaceous and edible tubers.

Onobrychis crista-galli Lam. Leguminosae. HEDGEHOG.
Mediterranean region.
This singular plant is grown in vegetable gardens as a curiosity on account of the peculiar shape of the seed-pods. It has no utility. Its seed appears in some of our seedsmen's lists.

Ononis arvensis Linn. Leguminosae. REST-HARROW.
Europe.
Rest-harrow, according to Gerarde, furnishes a food. "The tender sprigs or crops of this shrub before the thornes come forth, are preserved in pickle, and be very pleasant sauce to be eaten with meat as sallad, as Dioscorides teacheth."

Onopordon acanthium Linn. Compositae. COTTON THISTLE.
Europe, north Africa, the Orient and naturalized in eastern North America.
The receptacles of the flowers, says Lightfoot, and the tender stalks, peeled and boiled, may be eaten in the same manner as artichokes and cardoons. Johnson says an oil expressed from the seeds has been used for culinary purposes.