We now come to the plants which grow spontaneously, and which are employed as an aliment by most nations, the people of Egypt in particular, where they abound in such vast quantities, that, extremely prolific as that country is in corn, it is perhaps the only one that could subsist without it: so abundant are its resources in the various kinds of food to be obtained from plants. In Italy, however, we are acquainted with but very few of them; those few being the strawberry,[2142] the tamnus,[2143] the butcher’s broom,[2144] the sea[2145] batis, and the garden batis,[2146] known by some persons as Gallic asparagus; in addition to which we may mention the meadow parsnip[2147] and the hop,[2148] which may be rather termed amusements for the botanist than articles of food. CHAP. 51.—THE COLOCASIA. But the plant of this nature that is the most famous in Egypt is the colocasia,[2149] known as the “cyamos”[2150] to some. It is gathered in the river Nilus, and the stalk of it, boiled, separates[2151] into fine filaments when chewed, like those of the spider’s web. The head,[2152] protruding from among the leaves, is very remarkable; and the leaves, which are extremely large, even when compared with those of trees, are very similar to those of the plant found in our rivers, and known by the name of “personata.”[2153] So much do the people of that country take advantage of the bounteousness displayed by their river, that they are in the habit of plaiting[2154] the leaves of the colocasia with such skill as to make vessels of various shapes, which they are extremely fond of using for drinking vessels. At the present day, however, this plant is cultivated in Italy.[2155] CHAP. 52.—THE CICHORIUM. THE ANTHALIUM OR ANTICELLIUM, OR ANTHYLLUM. THE ŒTUM. THE ARACHIDNA. THE ARACOS. THE CANDRYALA. THE HYPOCHŒRIS. THE CAUCALIS. THE ANTHRISCUM. THE SCANDIX. THE TRAGOPOGON. THE PARTHENIUM OR LEUCANTHES, AMARACUS, PERDICIUM, OR MURALIS. THE TRYCHNUM OR STRYCHNUM, HALICACABUM, CALLIAS, DORYCNION, MANICON, PERITTON, NEURAS, MORIO, OR MOLY. THE CORCHORUS. THE APHACE. THE ACYNOPOS. THE EPIPETRON. PLANTS WHICH NEVER FLOWER. PLANTS WHICH ARE ALWAYS IN FLOWER.