56 



* BATATAS betacea. 

 Beet-rooted Sweet Potatoe. 



PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 

 Nat. Ord. CoNVOLvuLACEiE. 



BATATAS. Sejmla 5. Corolla campanulata. Stamina inclusa. Sty- 

 his 1 . Stigma capitatum, bilobum. Ovarium 4-loculare, loculis monosper- 



mis. Capsula 4-locularis, aut abortu 3-locularis. Herbae nunc repentes, 



nunc volubiles. Choisy con v. or. p. 52. 



B. betacea ; foliis ovatis cordatis angulatis et subquinquelobis acutis, raceme 

 contracto composito, sepalis acuminatis, tubo corollse limbo circular! 

 longiore, radice fusiformi sanguinea. Bat. Rer/. 1839. misc. 152. 



Until the confusion that exists among the species of Con- 

 volvulaceous plants shall have been cleared up by the publi- 

 cation of the labours of M. Choisy in DeCandolle's Prodromus, 

 it is impracticable to say whether a given tropical species is 

 new or not. I am therefore by no means able to affirm that 

 such is the case in the present instance ; a diligent search 

 however has not enabled me to discover any record of it, and 

 at all events it is new to our gardens. 



As has already been stated at No. 15^ of the miscellaneous 

 matter of the Botanical Register for 1839, the plant is a 

 native of Demerara : and according to Mr. May, of the Ripon 

 Nursery, who first had it for sale, it is a stove plant, with 

 sufficient hardiness to succeed in a good greenhouse ; which. 



* To the language of what American nation this word is to be assigned, 

 does not seem clearly ascertained ; that it is American seems however cer- 

 tain, for it has no designation among the natives of Asia ; the Malay names 

 mentioned by Rumphius being clearly exotic to those countries. According 

 to Piso and Marcgraaf the Portuguese of Brazil, in their day, called the 

 Sweet Potatoe Batata, but the natives had a diiferent name. Whether or not 

 Hernandez throws any light upon the subject I have not the means of ascer- 

 taining, as there is no copy of his book within reach just now. 



