| Title | Melden |
| Caption | Atriplex patula L. spear saltbush (seeds) |
| Source | Carole Ritchie. Provided by ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory. United States, MI, Bay City, West Bay City. |
| URL | http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=atpa4_001_ahp.tif |
| Creator | Carol Ritchie |
| Type | Photograph |
| Origin | Internet |
| Notes | Hariot p.14 Dutch call this ‘hearbe’ Melden. “a kinde of Orage” seeds make thick broth, and pottage . . . burned stalk to make salt earth, especially salt for broth. “other salt they knowe not.”; Melden – Wikipedia; Die Melden (Atriplex) sind eine Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Fuchsschwanzgewächse (Amaranthaceae). ; http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melden; Jaques; p.146 ORACH Atriplex hortense L. closely related to spinach; Bellis This plant would seem to have been a pot herb. Note similarity between words ‘orage’ and ‘orach’. Two species of Atriplex grow along the NC coast. Both occur on sand dunes and/or brackish marshes. Fruits are about 5 to 7 mm long, seeds about 2 mm. Seeds could be harvested by shaking whole mature plants over a basket. Plants grown in a salt marsh might be a good source of salt. My guess is that Hariot had encountered Atriplex patula L. (marshes) or A. arenaria Nuttall (seabeach orach). ; A. patula is often confused with Chenopodium, Goose foot, Pigweed. ; |
According to Quinn’s note on this entry (The Roanoke Voyages 1584-1590 pg. 340), this word denotes a member of the spinach/beet family, the use of which Hariot goes on to describe in detail on pg. 753. See “Orage.” - Matt