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Compositae
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Garland Chrysanthemum; Tong Hao; Tong-Mo(C); Tang-Oh(H).
Chrysanthemum coronairum L. var. Spatiosum Bailey (Compositae)
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| An annual eaten at the seedling stage when it is not more than 20cm high. Leaves are succulent with a light silvery tinge and broadly serrated edges. The vegetative parts are strong smelling particularly in a related species, C. Cinerariifolium Vis., which is the source of insect powder. |
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A native of Europe and Northern Asia, it is an old-fashioned garden plant of Europe but a vegetable of importance in China even today.
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The tender shoots are eaten as cooked vegetable or in soups. Its rather pungent smell, however, does not appeal to many people. But it is known to be rich in vitamin A.
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Lettuce; Sheng Cai; Selada(M); Sung-Choi(C).
Lactuca sativa L. (Compositae)
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| A leafy annual grown for its succulent crisp radical leaves. The lowland species has loose leaves, crumpled with frilly margins while the leaves of the highland variety fold over the growing point to form a head; with light green almost white leaves of a greasy texture and coarse veins and prominent min-rib (Po-Lei-Sung-Choi(C)). One variety is specially imported for the edible thick stem. |
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Lettuce has possibly been cultivated for several thousands of years if we can believe that this is the plant depicted on the tombstones of ancient Egyptians at 4500 BC. Later it was cultivated by the Moors who developed many new varieties and has been cultivated in China since the seventh century AD.
It was thought to be derived from wild lettuce (Lactuca scariola L.) indigenous to parts of Western Asia. Both are closely related and crossed readily.
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Lettuce is commonly used for salads, eaten raw either alone or with various types of dressings. It is rich in minerals like sodium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and vitamins (Choudbury, 1967).
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