Mar. 2, 1920.] Aarimltural Gazette of N.S.W, liiS 



Origin of the Name ^^ Jerusalem Artichoke/^ 



G. P. DARNELL-SMITH, D.Sc, F.LC, F.C.S. 



One would naturally expect that the Jerusalem artichoke {Helianthus tuber- 

 ■osus) came originally from, or had at least some connection with, the ancient 

 <iity. The evidence — -which provides quaint and interesting reading — is 

 nevertheless to the contrary. In the Gardener's Chronicle for 23rd March, 

 1918, there appeared a paragraph offering prizes for a new English name for 

 the vegetable, in which it was stated that " the name is considered a corruption 

 of the Italian Girasole artiocco or sunflower artichoke, under which name it is 

 said to have been originally distributed from the Farnese Gardens at Rome 

 in 1617." This prompted C. C. Lacaita to investigate the history of the Jeru- 

 .salem artichoke. The results of his researches were published in Keiv 

 Bulletin No. 9, 1919, and from that article the following brief notes are 

 taken : — 



Lacaita's investigations establish three points — that (1) the Jerusalem 

 artichoke was not originally distributed from the Farnese Gardens; (2) it 

 was not called Girasole articiocco* in those gardens; and (3) it has never 

 been known in Italy under that name. As far as can be traced, the Jerusalem 

 artichoke was first noticed by Europeans during Champlain"s second voyage 

 1 1604-7), who, while visiting the habitations of the natives at Nauset Harbour* 

 on the coast of Massachusetts, on 21st July, 1605, saw it in cultivation. 

 Its country of origin was ascertained in 1883, when Asa Gray named 

 its birthi)lace as Canada, a determination confirmed and now generally 

 accepted. 



The earliest account of H. tuherosus is by Colonna in 1616, written after 

 seeing it in the splendid garden of Cardinal Farnese in Rome ; and to the fact 

 that Colonna was the first botanist to speak of this artichoke must be traced 

 the fallacy that the tubers were distributed throughout Europe from this 

 source. In support of this theory there is not a tittle of evidence, says Lacaita. 

 By 1616 the artichokes were alread};- well known in Paris, and had probably 

 been introduced there some nine years earlier. It seems likely that they were 

 taken from Canada to France by Lescarbot in 1607. Probably introduced 

 into England in 1617, the tubers were by that date well known in Paris and 

 had acquired the name topinamhour — their popular name throughout France 

 to-day, and originally the French appellation of a Brazilian tribe, some natives 

 of which happened to be a source of interest and amusement to Parisians at 

 the time. 



* Artiocco is an obviaus misprint. 



