1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Salsafy

SALSAFY, or Salsify, Tragopogon porrifolius, a hardy biennial, with long, cylindrical, fleshy, esculent roots, which, when properly cooked, are extremely delicate and wholesome; it occurs in meadows and pastures in the Mediterranean region, and in Britian is confined to the south of England, but is not native. The salsafy requires a free, rich, deep soil, which should be trenched in autumn, the manure used being placed at two spades' depth from the surface. The first crop should be sown in March, and the main crop in April, in rows a foot from each other, the plants being afterwards thinned to 8 in. apart. In November the whitish roots should be taken up and stored in sand for immediate use, others being secured in a similar way during intervals of mild weather. The genus Tragopogon belongs to the natural order Compositae, and is represented in Britain by goat's beard, T. pratensis, found in meadows, pastures and waste places. The flowers close at noon, whence the popular name “John-go-to-bed-at-noon.”