15-20Student Notes:FOOD CHARACTERISTICSWild potatoThe wild potato is an example of an edible tuber (fig. 15-11). This small plant is found throughoutthe world, especially in the tropics.Solomon’s sealTubers of Solomon’s seal (fig. 15-12) grow on small plants found in North America, Europe,Northern Asia, and Jamaica. Boiled or roasted, they taste much like parsnips.Water chestnutThe water chestnut is a native of Asia, but it has spread to both tropical and temperate areas of theworld including North America, Africa, and Australia. It is found as a free-floating plant on rivers,lakes, and ponds in quiet water. The plant covers large areas wherever it grows. It has two kinds ofleaves—the submerged leaf, which is long, rootlike, and feathery, and the floating leaf, which forms arosette on the surface of the water. Beneath the water, the plant bears nuts that are 1 to 2 inches broadwith strong spines that give them the appearance of a horned steer (fig. 15-13). You can roast or boil theseed inside the horny structure.Nut grassNut grass is widespread in many parts of the world. Look for it in moist, sandy places along themargins of streams, ponds, and ditches. It occurs in both tropical and temperate climates. The grassdiffers from true grass because it has a three-angle stem and thick underground tubers that grow ½ to 1inch in diameter. (See fig. 15-14.) These tubers are sweet and nutty. Boil, peel, and grind them intoflour; you can use the flour as a coffee substitute.BullrushBullrush is a tall plant found in the wet, swampy areas of North America, Africa, Australia, theEast Indies, and Malaya. (See fig. 15-15.) You may eat the roots and white stem base cooked or raw.Figure 15-11.—Wild potato.Figure 15-12.—Solomon’s seal.
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