ing in auricles at the base. Racemes almost panicled, few- 
flowered, terminal, and, according to Ruiz and Pavon, 
lateral, opposite to the leaves. Peduncles long, hispid ; 
_ pedicels also long. Calyx hispid, suburceolate, green, 
cut into five linear-oblong, obtuse, spreading segments. 
Corolla white, rotate, scarcely, except before expansion, 
at all campanulate, five-lobed, lobes acute, with five green- 
ish rays, and somewhat waved. Stamens five, inserted at 
the base of the corolla, connivent. Filaments short, green- 
ish: Anthers oblong, two-celled, cells opening longitudi- 
nally, deep yellow. Pistil: Germen roundish, small, green: 
Style longer than the Stamens, deflexed : Stigma oblongo- 
capitate, somewhat glandular, yellow-green. 
Our knowledge of this interesting species of WirHERINGIA 
or PoraToe in a living state, is due to Dr. Samuet Mrrcuixt, 
of New York, a gentleman who has been unwearied] 
employed in the promotion of science throughout Nort 
America, and who very obligingly communicated some . 
tubers to me in the month of February, 1827. They were 
gathered on the top of the island of San Lorenzo, in 
Callao Bay. These were immediately planted in a pot 
and placed in a cool part of the stove of the Botanic Gar- 
den ; and in six weeks one of them produced the flowering 
stem here figured. It agrees so well with a specimen of 
SoLanum montanum in my Herbarium, from Lima, and also 
with the figure in Ruiz and Pavon, that I cannot doubt its 
being the same, or, I would gladly have adopted the name 
under which it is published in the excellent address, above 
referred to, by Dr. Mrrenrux, who has laudably distributed 
‘it to various countries, in the hopes of its being employed 
as the common Potatoe. Commodore Isaac Hutt, says, 
that when boiled, the tubers are yellow, and of a good 
flavour. Frurtiiz has observed, that the Indians employ 
them very much in their soups and ragouts, and Ruiz and 
Pavon say, that they are excellent for fattening swine. 
In all probability, therefore, especially, seeing that the 
plant is a native of elevated and prohaity temperate situa- 
tions, about Lima and Chancay, it may be cultivated as 
the common Potatoe, and become an useful culinary vege- 
table. With the protection of a greenhouse, it may be 
easily raised, and is certainly an ornamental plant. The 
flowers probably vary much in colour. Ruiz and Payon 
_ describe them as blue, whilst Fevrniée says they are rose- 
coloured. Qursare white. The vernacular name is Papas 
de Lomas and Papa montana. : | 
——— 
———— 
Fig. 1. Stamen. 2. Pistil—Magnified. 
