cook: quichua names of sweet potatoes 87 



over 14,000 feet at the Pass of La Raya, down to Santa Ana, 

 at an altitude of 3000 feet. The lower valley of the Urubamba 

 river was visited by the writer in May, June, and July, 1915, 

 as a member of the Yale Peruvian Expedition conducted by 

 Prof. Hiram Bingham, of Yale University, in cooperation with 

 the National Geographic Society and the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



At 6000 feet and below, the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) 

 is one of the principal root-crops. At Santa Ana it appears 

 to be somewhat less important than rumu (Manihot) or uncucha 

 (Xanthosoma), but much more important than achira (Canna). 

 Two classes of sweet potatoes are recognized under separate 

 names, apichu for the sweet varieties and cumara for the starchy. 

 A similar distinction is often made in the United States between 

 "sweets" and "yams." The Quichua language seems to have 

 no inclusive term that can be applied to all kinds of sweet potatoes. 

 For this purpose Spanish-speaking Quichuas use the word 

 ^camote.' n 



Both cumaras and apichus are represented by numerous 

 varieties differing in shape and color of roots and foliage. At 

 San Miguel, in the valley under Machu Picchu, with an alti- 

 tude of 6000 feet, three varieties of cumaras were noted: yuracjcu- 

 mara (white), pucacumara (red), and co??ipillicjlla, the last a 

 very short turnip-shaped purple root. Of apichus there were 

 also three varieties, yuracjapichu, pucaapichu, and azulapichu 

 (blue, a combination of Spanish and Quichua). Other names, 

 learned at Santa Ana, are oqquechuto, cusicumara, and pucacusi- 

 cumara, the last mentioned said to mean "red-long-cumara." 

 Another with deep purple flesh like a beet, that stains the tongue, 

 is called incampamaccasccan. At Lima the Quichua names 

 are not recognized, only camote being used. Two varieties grown 

 between Lima and Callao are called supano and luriniano, 

 the former with leaves very deeply cut, the latter with nearly 

 entire leaves. Supe and Lurin are places on the coast not far 

 from Lima. 



Wild sweet potatoes are said to be of common occurrence in 

 the valleys of the interior. At San Miguel a plant identified 

 by the Indians as cusiapichu was found growing spontaneously 



