It yields abundantly; and, though the pods are comparatively small, they are generally preferred to those of the Tall Nasturtium for pickling.
PICRIDIUM.
Garden Picridium. Picridium vulgare.
A hardy, annual plant, from the south of Europe. Stem eighteen inches high; leaves six to eight inches long, irregular in form, but generally broad at the ends, and heart-shaped and clasping at the base; flowers yellow, compound, produced in clusters; the seeds are long, slightly curved, four-sided, brown or blackish-brown, and retain their vitality five years.
Sowing and Cultivation.—The seeds should be sown in April or May, in drills a foot apart, and half an inch in depth. As the plants, when allowed to run to seed, produce but little foliage, it is necessary, in order to secure a continued supply of fresh leaves, to cut or nip off the flowering-shoot as it makes its appearance. Under proper management, the leaves grow rapidly, and are produced in great abundance.
Use.—The leaves have a pleasant, agreeable flavor; and, while young and tender, are mixed in salads.