142 PLANTS OF THE SIERRA. [1839. 



is found. Its fruit resembles that of the Spanish olive, though 

 the oil is by no means as go%d, probably on account of the defec- 

 tive manner of expressing it. The olives are permitted to 

 ripen thoroughly on the tree ; they are then gathered, sub- 

 jected to a slight pressure, dried, and packed in small earthen 

 jars. They are served at table with pieces of tomato and ajl 

 (Spanish pepper) laid upon them. Sometimes they are pre- 

 served in salt water, when they remain plump and green, 

 instead of becoming shrivelled and black, as in the other pro- 

 cess. The castor-oil plant grows wild in Peru, and is culti- 

 vated also on many plantations ; the oil, however, is not 

 purified, but is used for the street lamps in Lima, and for 

 greasing machinery. Another oil plant is the pinoncillo tree, 

 which produces a fruit shaped like a bean, and, when roasted, 

 having an agreeable flavor. 



One of the most nutritious, and one of the most important 

 articles of food, in the Sierra, is the quinua, or quinoa. Its 

 leaves, when green, are eaten like spinach ; but the most 

 valuable parts of the plant are the seeds. These are boiled 

 in milk or in broth, and are sometimes cooked with cheese 

 and Spanish pepper. They are highly prized by the Peru- 

 vians, and most travellers commend their agreeable flavor. 

 The dried stems of the quinua are also made use of as fuel. 

 Besides the potato, there are three other tuberous plants cul- 

 tivated with success in the Sierra. These are the ulluco, the 

 oca, and the mashua. The ulluco is much smaller than the 

 potato, and varies in its form, being cither round or oblong, 

 straight or curved. The skin is thin and of a reddish yellow 

 color ; the inside is green. When boiled, its flavor is nearly 

 the same as that of the potato, yet it is much more savory 

 when cooked as a piquante. In addition to the root, that 

 part of the plant above the ground furnishes an agreeable, 

 and wholesome vegetable, something like the bean ; three 

 crops of this green portion of the ulluco may be gathered in 

 the same season.* 



* The ulluco has been cultivated with success in the gardens of Lh • Luxem- 

 bourg palace, and is regarded as a very good substitute for the potato. 



