SOLANEiE. 165 



SOLANUM. L. 5. 1. 



Supposed by some to be derived from the Latin, to comfort ; a 

 very doubtful etymology ; abounds in Mexico and Peru ; more 

 than J 40 species have been described; only a few species are 

 natives of the western temperate zone ; 2 are common in New 

 England ; nearly 60 introduced into England. 



S. dulcamara. L. Bitter-sweet. Possesses in its roots the 

 taste implied in its name ; common about houses and waste places, 

 wet or dry, and bears bright red berries in clusters ; medicinal ; 

 about 2 feet high, but, when trained, grows 8 or 10 feet. Big- 

 elow's "Medical Botany." Supposed to be introduced from 

 England. Shape of tlie leaves lyrate or fiddle-form. 



S. nigrum. L. Black Nightshade. A less common plant, 

 in waste places, about fields ; berries black ; has the characters 

 of a poisonous plant ; flowers nodding, white ; 2 or 3 feet high ; 

 August. A native of this country as well. as of Europe. 



S. tuberosum. L. Potato. The root is tuberous, hence the 

 botanical name. Potato seems to be a corruption of the Spanish 

 batata., by which name it was introduced into Spain from Peru 

 about 1550. The French and Italians called it apple of the earth. 

 The plant was introduced into England by Sir Walter Raleigh, 

 or those who returned with him from Virginia in 1586, and called 

 Virginia Potato. It has been found in its native soil only a few 

 times by the later botanists, who have so extensively examined 

 the various parts of America. In 1818, Dr. Baldwin, a distin- 

 guished botanist of this country, saw it growing in its native state 

 near Monte Video, on the river La Plata. Darlington. Hum- 

 boldt also found it in South America. It is a small, slender plant 

 bearing quite small tubers. Cultivation has made a great change 

 in it, and vastly improved it. Slowly it came into use, and was 

 considered as a root more fit for cattle and hogs than for man. 

 It was probably a poor variety, some of which, now cultivated, 

 are scarcely palatable. In the latter part of the last century, 

 when it had become extensively used, it was regarded by many 



