Aralia cordata. Aralia quinquefolia.
Aralia cordata Thunb. Araliaceae. Udo.
Japan. The young shoots of this species provide an excellent culinary vegetable. They are used in soups in Japan. According to Siebold, this plant is universally cultivated in Japan, in fields and gardens. It is valued for its root which is eaten like scorzonera, but the young stalks are likewise a delicious vegetable.
Aralia quinquefolia Decne & Planch. Ginseng.
North America. The root is collected in large quantities in the hilly regions of Ohio, western Virginia, Minnesota and other parts of eastern America for export to China where it is valued as a medicine. Some persons in this country are in the habit of chewing the root, having acquired a relish for its taste, and it is chiefly to supply the wants of these that it is kept in the shops.