1880.1 



ANH HORTICULTURIST. 



371 



Natural History and Science. 



CUMMUNICA TIONS. 



CALADIUM ESCULENTUM. 



BY O J. POPPEY, POUGHKF?EPSTE, N. Y. 



In the October luimber a correspondent from 

 Texas writes that he was unable to find this 

 plant growing wild on the Brazos River, &c. ; 

 thus somewhat refuting the fact of its being nat- 

 uralized in that State. I think it may be of 

 some interest to the many readers of the Gar- 

 dener's Monthly to be informed that this species 

 is quite frequently found in that State on the 

 San Antonio River, in the vicinity of San Antonio 

 City, where I was a resident for sixteen years. 

 In this locality, the Caladium esculentum is 

 commonly called the "Sandwich Potato," but 

 eaten only by some out of mere curiosity, and 

 who declare them to be excellent for culinary 

 use; according to an article in the January 

 number, it appears to be a plant that combines 

 both beauty and usefulness, something not often 

 met with among those plants used so extensively 

 for ornamental planting. I never saw it culti- 

 vated for any purpose in the section of the 

 State in question, except the few that were 

 planted in our garden, along a ditch, for orna- 

 ment. These, as well as the wild-growing ones, 

 never attain the size and magnificence of 

 foliage they do here, — and that almost anywhere 

 where planted ; while in that part of Texas they 

 mustbe planted close to a stream, so that a portion 

 of the roots may be in constant contact with the 

 water. In this position they are found along 

 the San Antonio River, at least in the neighbor- 

 hood of its source. I have traveled other parts 

 of this river days in succession, and did not 

 find a single specimen, but this cannot serve as 

 a proof that they are not abundant elsewhere ; 

 for I can mention the same fact about the Age- 

 ratum Mexicanum, of which I am positive 

 it is a true native of that State, but I never met 

 with it so frequently as I did the Caladium 

 esculentum. I made the same observation as 

 the writer of the article mentioned above, that 

 the Caladium does not produce ripe seed. The 

 flower is white, of the same form, but less than 

 half the size of the Calla Ethiopica, which it re- 

 sembles in every other respect; but its stem 

 does not reach above the foliage, so the flower is 



secreted among the leaves. It is possible that 

 the Caladium is a native of Texas ; for about 

 thirty years ago, when my father first settled at 

 San Antonio, he found it there growing wild, 

 and nowhere cultivated. 



[There are many circumstances which make 

 it very nearly certain that the Caladium is only 

 an introduced plant. — Ed. G. M.] 



EDITOR IAL NOTES. 



Gutta-percha. — This is the product of Ison- 

 andra Gutta, a tree of Java. It was brought to 

 notice in 1843. 



Flora of China and Japan. — Among the dried 

 plants brought from China and Japan by Mr. 

 Veitch'a collector, Mr. Maries, are no less than 

 twenty-two new species of ferns. This shows 

 how comparatively little we know of these 

 countries. Among the ferns found was Aspidium 

 Thelypteroides, which is also indigenous to the 

 United States. 



Abies and Picea. — As our readers know, fir 

 trees have been erroneously called Picea, and 

 spruces, Abies ; the error originating in Eng- 

 land. Spruces have always been correctly called 

 Picea, and the firs Abies on the Continent of 

 Europe. Dr. Engelmann has, however, pointed 

 out that botany would cease to be a science un- 

 less conformed to recognized rules of nomen- 

 clature, which is that a prior name must prevail. 

 In America we have adopted the first course, 

 and the best English authorities have also as- 

 sented to its propriety ; but the following answer 

 to a correspondent in the Gardener's ChronicU 

 shows that the error will not be buried without 

 a struggle : 



''Abies, OR Picea: R. — No doubt the change 

 is inconvenient, but you can obviate it by speak- 

 ing of 'Silvers' or 'Spruces.' Again, in most 

 cases every one would know what was meant if 

 you simply used the specific name, such as no- 

 bilis, ajanensis, Nordmanniana, <fec. We do not 

 see why Englishmen should be isolated from the 

 rest of the world to the general confusion ; still 

 less do we subscribe to the notion that it is their 

 duty to perpetuate an error which other people 

 have corrected.'' 



