269 FLORA HISTORIC A. 



ters of that day, were of opinion that the Jalap 

 root was the same as the Marvel of Peru ; and 

 the same idea prevailed in the French School of 

 Medicine, as we find Toumefort, Pomet, Le- 

 mery, and others have, from the authority of 

 Plumier, stated the Jalap to be the root of the 

 Belle de Nuit. This error has been since dis- 

 covered, and it is now clearly ascertained that 

 the true Jalap is the root of an American species 

 of Convolvulus, distinguished by the title of 

 Jalapa, consequently, the Mirabilis is now fre- 

 quently called False Jalap. We are indebted to 

 Dr. Houston for this discovery, he having ascer- 

 tained the fact in the Spanish West Indies, from 

 whence he brought over a drawing of the plant 

 made by a Spaniard at Xalapa or Halapa. Seeds 

 of the Convolvulus Jalapa appear to have been 

 introduced by Charles Du Bois, Esq., about the 

 year 1728 ; and Mr. Miller informs us, that he 

 received three seeds of this plant from the Spa- 

 nish West Indies in the year 1736, one of which 

 he reared in the botanic garden at Chelsea, where 

 it became a large plant, having a tuberous root 

 as large as that of the Jalap commonly imported. 

 This plant perished in the severe winter of 1739- 

 40, without having flowered. 



The Marvel of Peru has a fusiform root, which 

 should be taken up in the autumn and kept under 



