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 .