THE HISTORY OF THE COWPEA. 59 



lisliod in the beginning of the fifteenth century, and whether it 

 appears there or not is uncertain. 



It may be noted that no phmt of American origin lias Ix-en iihMiti- 

 fied in any Cliincse work previous to the Pen Ts'ao Kang Mu, which 

 was finished in 1578, though not published until after 1596. 



It nuiy be concluded from the facts so far known regarding these 

 species that both Vig?ia iinguicidatd and V. catjang originally came 

 from a region including and extending from India to Persia and the 

 southern part of the Trans-Caspian district, and that the Persians 

 called one or both of them by the name " lubia " and applied that 

 name to V. nnguieulata in northAvest India after their conquest of 

 that region. The cultivation of T^. unguiculata extended to China at 

 a very early date, but the distribution of at least one of the species 

 with the name '* lubia " had extended from the region of its origin at 

 the besrinnino; of the Christian era to Arabia and Asia Minor and 

 had reached some of the Mediterranean countries of Europe at about 

 the same time, but did not become known in central Europe until 

 the middle of the sixteenth century. 



102-VI 



