ratio of word probabilities predicted from brain for celery and lettuce

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celery

lettuce

top 10 words in brain distribution (in article):
plant fruit seed grow leaf flower produce variety species food
top 10 words in brain distribution (in article):
species century form plant produce type family begin world food
top 10 words in brain distribution (not in article):
tree sugar potato milk rice juice state cheese flavor sweet
top 10 words in brain distribution (not in article):
wear horse church music instrument time bird woman egg body
times more probable under celery 30 20 10 6 4 2.5 1.25 1 1.25 2.5 4 6 10 20 30 times more probable under lettuce
(words not in the model)
"Apium graveolens" is a plant species in the family Apiaceae commonly known as celery'" (var. "dulce") or celeriac'" (var. "rapaceum") depending on whether the petioles or roots are eaten. Taxonomy. Celery was described by Carolus Linnaeus in Volume One of his "Species Plantarum" in 1753. The closely related "Apium bermejoi" from the island of Minorca is one of the rarest plants in Europe with only 60 individuals left. Uses. "Apium graveolens" is used around the world as a vegetable, either for the crisp petiole (leaf stalk) or the fleshy taproot. In temperate countries, celery is also grown for its seeds. Actually very small fruit, these "seeds" yield a valuable volatile oil used in the perfume and pharmaceutical industries. They also contain an organic compound called apiol. Celery seeds can be used as flavouring or spice either as whole seeds or, ground and mixed with salt, as celery salt. Celery salt can also be made from an extract of the roots. Celery salt is used as a seasoning, in cocktails (notably to enhance the flavour of Bloody Mary cocktails), on the Chicago-style hot dog, and in Old Bay Seasoning. Celery, onions, and bell peppers are the holy trinity of Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisine. Celery, onions, and carrots make up the French mirepoix, often used as a base for sauces and soups. Celery is a staple in chicken noodle soup. Celery is an important ingredient in Indian cuisines including in Indian Curry. Celery is widely eaten by guinea pigs, dogs, horses, birds, squirrels, and small rodents. Medicine. The use of celery seed in pills for relieving pain was described by Aulus Cornelius Celsus ca. 30 AD. Nutrition. Celery is valuable in weight-loss diets, where it provides low-calorie fiber bulk. Celery contains androstenone, not androsterone. Bergapten in the seeds can increase photosensitivity, so the use of essential oil externally in bright sunshine should be avoided. The oil and large doses of seeds should be avoided during pregnancy: they can act as a uterine stimulant. Seeds intended for cultivation are not suitable for eating as they are often treated with fungicides. There is a common belief that celery is so difficult for humans to digest, that it has negative calories because human digestion burns more calories than can be extracted. Allergies. Although many people enjoy foods made with celery, a small minority of people can have severe allergic reactions. For people with celery allergy, exposure can cause potentially fatal anaphylactic shock. The allergen does not appear to be destroyed at cooking temperatures. Celery root—commonly eaten as celeriac, or put into drinks—is known to contain more allergen than the stalk. Seeds contain the highest levels of allergen content. Celery is amongst a small group of foods (headed by peanuts) that appear to provoke the most severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). Exercise-induced anaphylaxis may be exacerbated. An allergic reaction also may be triggered by eating foods that have been processed with machines that have previously processed celery, making avoiding such foods difficult. In contrast with peanut allergy being most prevalent in the US, celery allergy is most prevalent in Central Europe. In the European Union, foods that contain or may contain celery, even in trace amounts, have to be clearly marked as such. History. Zohary and Hopf note that celery leaves and inflorescences were part of the garlands found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, pharaoh of ancient Egypt, and celery mericarps dated to the 7th century BC were recovered in the Heraion of Samos. However, they note "since "A. graveolens" grows wild in these areas it is hard to decide whether these remains represent wild or cultivated forms." Only by classical times is it certain that celery was cultivated. M. Fragiska mentions an archeological find of celery dating to the 9th century BC, at Kastanas; however, the literary evidence for ancient Greece is far more abundant. In Homer's "Iliad", the horses of Myrmidons graze on wild celery that grows in the marshes of Troy, and in "Odyssey" there is mention of the meadows of violet and wild celery surrounding the cave of Calypso. Cultural depictions. A chthonian symbol, celery was said to have sprouted from the blood of Kadmilos, father of the Cabers, chthonian divinities celebrated in Samothrace, Lemnos and Thebes. The Lettuce'" ("Lactuca sativa") is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. In many countries, it is typically eaten cold, raw, in salads, hamburgers, tacos, and in many other dishes. In some places, including China, lettuce is typically eaten cooked and use of the stem is as important as use of the leaf. Both the English name and the Latin name of the genus are ultimately derived from "lac", the Latin word for “milk”, referring to the plant’s milky juice. Mild in flavour, it has been described over the centuries as a cooling counterbalance to other ingredients in a salad. In his humorous essay "100 Things I chew", filmmaker John Waters refers to iceberg lettuce as "the polyester of greens". Description. The lettuce plant has a short stem initially (a rosette growth habit), but when it blooms, the stem lengthens, branches, and produces many flower heads that look like those of dandelions, but smaller. This is referred to as bolting. When grown to eat, lettuce is harvested before it bolts. Lettuce is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera. The largest lettuce head, of the Salad Bowl cultivar, weighed 11 kg (25 lb) grown by Colin Bowcock of Willaston, England, in 1974. Cultivation. Lettuce is grown commercially worldwide, hardy to Zone 6, requiring light, sandy, humus rich, moist soil. It dislikes dry conditions and can cause plants to bolt (go to seed). Early and late sowing in sunny positions or summer crops in shade. It is considered fairly easy to grow and a suitable crop for beginners. "Planting Depth:" Some resources suggest planting seeds by covering lightly with soil while others suggest a depth of 1 4 to 1 2 inch "Planting Spacing:" Thin seedlings to 10 cm (4 in) apart for leaf lettuce [1 sq. m (9 sq ft)] and 6 to 8 inches apart for Cos or Butterhead (4 sq ft 1 sq ft), transplant Crisphead seedlings 10 to 12 inches apart in the row (1 sq ft). "Row Spacing:" 12 18 inches apart History. The earliest depiction of lettuce is in the carvings at the temple of Senusret I at Karnak, where he offers milk to the god Min, to whom the lettuces was sacred. Lettuce was considered an aphrodisiac food in Ancient Egypt, and appears as such in "The Contendings of Horus and Seth". Later, Ancient Greek physicians believed lettuce could act as a sleep-inducing agent. The Romans cultivated it, and it eventually made its way to France cultivated of the Papal Court at Avignon. Christopher Columbus introduced lettuce to the new world. Cultivars. There are six commonly recognised Cultivar Groups of lettuce which are ordered here by head formation and leaf structure; there are hundreds of cultivars of lettuce selected for leaf shape and colour, as well as extended field and shelf life, within each of these Cultivar Groups: Some lettuces (especially iceberg) have been specifically bred to remove the bitterness from their leaves. These lettuces have a high water content with very little nutrient value. The more bitter lettuces and the ones with pigmented leaves contain antioxidants. Breeding. "L. sativa" can easily be bred with closely related species in "Lactuca" such as "L. serriola", "L. saligna", and "L. virosa", and breeding programs for cultivated lettuce have included those species to broaden the available gene pool. Starting in the 1990s, such programs began to include more distantly related species such as "L. tatarica". Seed Saving. Inbreeding plant, flowers form in heads of 10-25 individual florets of perfect flowers. Considered suitable for seed-saving beginners Production. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that world production of lettuce and chicory for calendar year 2007 was 23.55 million tons, primarily coming from China(51%), United States(22%) and Spain(5%). Nutrition. Lettuce is a fat free, low calorie food. It is a valuable source of vitamin A and folic acid. Lactucarium (or “Lettuce Opium”) is a mild opiate-like substance that is contained in all types of lettuce. Both the Romans and Egyptians took advantage of this property eating lettuce at the end of a meal to induce sleep. Religious restrictions. The Yazidi of northern Iraq consider eating lettuce taboo.