304 WALDRON— THE PEANUT 



very likely to grow from such like plants as are formerly described, 

 (Species of Vicia) not onely by the name but by the sight and taste 

 of the thing it selfe, for wee have not yet scene the face thereof 

 above ground, yet the fruit, or Pease-cods (as I may so call it) is 

 farre larger, whose outer huske is thicke and somewhat long, round 

 at both ends, or a little hooked at the lower end, of a sullen whitish 

 color on the outside, striped, and as it were wrinkled, bunching out 

 into two parts, where the two nuts (for they are bigger than any 

 Filberd kernell) or Pease doe lie joyning close one unto another, 

 being somewhat long, with the roundnesse firme and solide, and of a 

 darke reddish colour on the out side, and white within tasting sweet 

 like a Nut, but more oily." 



Concerning the introduction into Europe Parkinson's discussion 

 indicates that they were introduced into Portugal. He received 

 specimens sent from Candy and Lisbon. To quote him further he 

 states that the Indian earthnuts are found in "most places of Am- 

 erica, as well as to the South, as West parts thereof, both on the 

 Maine and Islands; and generally called by our English Sea-men 

 that goe into those parts Earth-nuts, erroneously enough, as they do 

 most other things that they there meete with." 



Eight years after Parkinson's reference the plant was described as 

 follows by Marcgraf and Piso — "Mundubi Brasiliensis Herba, in 

 pedalem aut bipedalem altitudinem adsurgit, caule quadrato aut 

 striato, ex viridi rufFescente & piloso. Hinc inde enascuntur ramuli 

 primo quasi caulem amplectentes & foliolis angustis, acuminatis. 

 stipati; mox habent nodum ac trium vel quatuor digitorum longi- 

 tudine extenduntur; continetq; quilibet ramulus quatuor folia, 

 duo semper sibi opposita paulo plus quam duos digitos longa sesquidi- 

 gitum lata superne, laete viridia, instar trifolii, inferne paulum canes- 

 centia, nervo conspicuo & subtilibus venulis quasi parallelis dotata, 

 raris quoque pilis vestita. Ad exortum ramulorum qui folia gerunt 

 prodit pediculus sesquidigitum circiter longus, tenuis, flosculumgerens. 

 flavum .& per oras rubentem duobus foliolis constantem, more vic- 

 iorum aut trifolii. Radix illius baud longa, tenuis, contorta, filam- 

 entosa, cui adnascuntur folliculi ex albicantegrysei,figura minimae 

 cucurbitae, oblongae, magnitudinae Myrobalani fragiles: quilibet 

 autem continet in se duos nucleos, pellicula saturate purpurea vestitos, 

 carne intus alba, oleaginosa, sapore pistaceorum, qui comeduntur 

 cocti & inter bellaria aponuntur. Multum tamen comesti capitis 

 dolores causare ajunt. Fructu integro quassato nucle intus strep- 

 unt 



