BOTANICAL HISTORY AND NOMENCLATURE OF SORGHUM. 37 



Besler, 1613, " Milium Plinii ; " " Sorghum fructo rubro ; " " Sorghum fructo 

 albo." 



Bauhin, C. 1623, "Milium Sabaeum ; " "Milium arundinaceum subrotundo 

 semiue, Sorgo uominatum ; " " Milium arundinaceum piano alboque semine." 



Parkinson, 1640, " Melica, sive sorghum." 



Bauhiu, C, 165S, "Milium arundinaceum sive Indieum semine subrotundo;" 

 " Milium arundinaceum semine piano et albo." 



Hermann, 16S7. "Milium indieum, arundinaceo cauli. granis flaveseentibus; " 

 "Milium indieum, arundinaceo cauli, granis nigris;" '•Milium arundina- 

 ceum subrotundo semine; Sorgo nominatum ; " " Milium arundinaceum piano 

 alboque semine." 



Ray, 16SS, " Sorghum " or " Milium Indieum ; " " Milium arundinaceum semine 

 subrotundo;" "Milium arundinaceum semine piano et albo." 



Breyne, 16S9, " Milium Indieum sacchariferum altissimum semine rotundo 

 atro;" "Milium Indieum sacchariferum altissimum semine ferrugiueo." 



Sloane, 1090, " Milium Indieum." 



Morison, 1699, "Milium majus Sabaeum;" "Milium niajus arundinaceum sub- 

 rotundo semine; " "Milium majus arundinaceum piano alboque." 



Tournefort, 1700, " Milium aruudinaceum." 



Sloane, 1707, " Milium Indieum." 



Micheli, 1729, " Sorgum " (nomeu nudum). 



Linne, 1737, " Holcus glumis glabris ; " " Holcus glumis villosis." 



Just what variety of sorghum was introduced into Italy in Pliny's 

 time we have no means of knowing. There is at least a strong prob- 

 ability, however, that it was a sweet variety. Pliny describes the 

 seed or head as of a black color, apparently not distinguishing be- 

 tween the seeds and the black glumes which inclosed them. In 

 recent times most black-glumed forms with seeds wholly inclosed 

 have been saccharine varieties. At any rate, a sweet variety must 

 have been introduced at an early date, because we find such names 

 as melica and melega, referring to sweetness, in use as early as any 

 names more distinctive than milium or panicum. Between the first 

 and sixteenth centuries there is naturally not a very extensive litera- 

 ture on the subject. Avicenna, who lived in the tenth century, writes 

 of a form used by the Arabs and called " hareoman " (said to be a 

 misprint for hartoman). Crescenzi (1542) is said to have written 

 about 1300 A. D., and later editions of his work refer to the plant in 

 Italy as sagina, or melica. The writer has been able to consult no 

 edition earlier than the one cited. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY WRITERS. 



During the sixteenth century many able writers describe the plant 

 and its uses; some give good illustrations. None of them recognizes 

 more than a single variety. 



Fuchs (154:2) and Tragus (1552) figure similar plants with heavy 

 and compact but erect heads (fig. 10). This sorghum is much like 

 the Orange sorgo in general appearance and is apparently the variety 

 afterwards named Holcus sorghum by Linne. It is certainly the 



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