THE SWEET POTATO. 19 



In 1762 Linnaeus (Species Plantarum) describes it 

 as follows: "Batatas." 



"Convolv. foliis cord., liast. quinque-nervis, caule 

 repente hispido tuberifero. 



Conv. radice tub. escul., Catesb. 



Conv. indicus vulgo Patates dictus, Ray. 



Batatas, Bauliin. pin.; Kumph., Kalm. 



Kappa-Kelengu, liheede. 



Habitat in India utraque. 



Confer. Con. ind. vulgo Patates dictum. 



Few per 3 p. 16 II foliis palmatis." 



In 1784 Tliuuberg (Flora Japonica, pp. 84-85), 

 under Convolvulus edulis, describes it as grown 

 abundantly around Nagasaki, and states that it was 

 even then unknown in the higher parts of Japan and 

 that it had been introduced by the Portuguese. He 

 describes it as : A Convolvulus with entire and three- 

 lobed, heart-shaped glabrous leaves, stem creeping, 

 angular; Flowering rarely — he has never seen the 

 flowers — but not the same as Ipomoea triloba. The 

 roots were often the size of one's fist, tuberculate, 

 flesh-colored like Batatas; esculent, very soft and 

 well-flavored. The plant differs from Convolvulus 

 Batatas in having heart-shaped, entire leaves, 3 and 

 5-lobed, and in not being constricted in the center, 

 "ut sagittaria evadant." 



In 1789 Linnaeus (Amoenitates Academicae, Vol. 

 VI, p. 121) says: "Conv. Batatas, Indiae occiden- 

 talis, tuberosa, peregrina. Editur assa sub cineri- 

 bus, coctione rubicunda evadit. Sapor praecedentis,* 

 etjam ergajstulocum cibus indis. Tubera per 

 liyemem ab omni humido studiose praeservanda." 



In 1793 Loureiro (Flora Cochinchinensis, p. 107) 



* Before goes Dioscorea, of which he says : "Siccior optime sapit 

 et frequens illis est." 



