THE SWEET POTATO. 9 



potato was the yam, however (Watt, under Ipomcea 

 batatas). As his authority, Bauhin gives Joseph 

 Acosta, lib. 4, cap. 18; Frag. 9, 1, 4, e. 18; 6, 38; 3, 

 6, 4, cap. 12; 8, 9. ' 



In 1636, Gerarde (Herball, pp. 925-930) calls the 

 sweet potato Sisarum Peruviauorum, Batata His- 

 panorum Potatus, and Potato. His illustration is a 

 copy of the "Batatas" of Clusius. According to 

 him, the plant was known as the "skyrrets" of Peru. 

 A few plants grown in his garden did not flower, 

 and he states distinctly that "not any said anything 

 of the flowres." The roots were "many, thicke and 

 knobby . . . joined together at the top into one 

 head.'"' His tubers were bought at the Exchange in 

 London, and he states that the sweet potato grows 

 in "India, Barbaric, Spaine and the hot regions," 

 and that they are common food among Spaniards, 

 Italians, and Indians. He has quite a selection of 

 recipes for making palatable dishes from them. 

 AVhether he meant India or the New World with his 

 India, the writer does not know. 



In 1640 Parkinson gives a pretty full account of 

 the sweet potato, as then known (Theater of Plants, 

 pp. 1382-1383). Under "Pappas, batatas, Potatoes," 

 he translates a large part of Clusius, as given before, 

 but he does not at all keep separate the account of 

 "Camotes" from that of "Inhames," and so he 

 makes it appear as if Clusius had applied the same 

 name to both. Later on he states that Lobelius 

 (in Adversaria) says that the Inhames brought from 

 Aetliiopia and Guiney were different from the pota- 

 toes of Spain and the Canary Islands. Parkinson 

 uses the name "Virginia Potato." He quotes 

 Scaliger as saying, "The Spaniards know three 

 other sorts of roots besides the ordinary, which will 



