SOLANUM TUBEROSUM. 
Frurr. A capsule or berry. 
Seeps. Numerous. Embryo curved, lying in fleshy albumen. 
THE SECONDARY CHARACTERS, 
Sotanum. Calyx five—ten parted, persistent. Corolla ro- 
tate subcampanulate. Tbe very short. Limb plicate, five— 
ten lobed. Anthers erect, slightly cohering or connivent, opening 
at the top by two pores. Berry, two—six celled, sub-elobose or 
depressed, often torose. Seeds numerous. 
Calyx five to ten parted, permanent, Corol bell or whell-form, five-lobed, plaited. 
-Anthers thickened, partly united, with two pores at the top. Berry containing many 
seeds, two to six-celled. 
THE SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Sovanum Tuserosum. Root tuberous, Stem herbacecus. 
Segment of the leaves unequal, the alternate ones minute. 
Flowers subcorymbed. Corolla five-angled. 
Stem wing-angled, unarmed. Leaves interruptedly pinnate. Leaflets entire. Flow- 
ers subcorymbed. Roots knobbed—tuberous. 
THE ARTIFICIAL CHARACTERS. 
Crass Penranpria. Stamens five. Orper Monoeynta. Mo- 
nopetalous. Flowers inferior. Corolla regular. Herbs (rarely 
shrubby.) Stamens alternate, with petals. Fruit capsule 
or berry. Cells with many seeds. Cells two. Astivation 
plicate. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
This most valuable plant is suppposed to be a native of 
South America, and to be found in a wild state in elevated 
places in the tropical regions, and in the more temperate dis- 
tricts of the western coasts of that country. It appears proba- 
ble that the potatoe was first brought into Europe, from the 
mountainous parts of South America, in the neighborhood of 
Quito, where they were called papas, to Spain, early in the 16th 
century, From Spain, where they were called battatas, they 
_ found their way to Italy, and there received the same name as 
the truffle, taratoufli. From Italy they went to Vienna, through 
the Governor of Mons, in Hainault, who sent some to Clusius, 
1598, To Bngland the potato found its way from North — 
