Goat's Beard.
Tragopogon.
A common wild plant, distinguished in our meadows by its narrow and fresh green leaves, and the long leaves of the cup, about its yellow flowers. It grows to a foot and a half in height. The leaves are very narrow; they are broadest at the base, and smaller all the way to the point. The stalk is round, thick, firm, very upright, and towards the top divided into two or three branches. The flowers stand at the extremities of the stalks; they are of a beautiful pale yellow, very large and surrounded by a cup, composed of long and narrow green leaves, which, for the greatest part of the day, are closed over it, so that it seems only in bud. The seeds are winged with a fine white down, in the manner of those of dandelion, and, when ripe, they stand upon the tops of the branches, in a round head, in the same manner. The root is long and white; and the whole plant is full of a milky juice, which, after it has been a little time exposed to the air, becomes yellow, end thick like cream.
The root is used. It is so pleasant in taste, that it may be eaten in the manner of carrots, and other roots at table, but it exceeds them all in its qualities. It is an excellent restorative, and will do great service to people after long illness: the best way of giving it for this purpose, is to boil it first in water, and then, cutting it to pieces, boil it again in milk, which is to be rendered palatable in the usual way; it becomes thus a most excellent medicine in the form of food.
