CULTIVATED PLANTS. 141 



under the name of Strychnos, by Avicenna under that of 

 Bedaugian, and especially by St. Hildeguarda, Abbess of 

 Bingen, who died in 1180, under that of Megilnna, yet the 

 identity is in no case placed beyond doubt, and requires colla- 

 teral proof to be derived from the botanical and geographical 

 investigation of the original wild type of the species. 



There is still greater uncertainty as to the real native country 

 of the Capsicum or Hot-pepper (Capsicum annuum, Peperoni of 

 the Italians, Pimeut of the French), now so universally spread 

 over all tropical countries. Although long known under the 

 name of Indian Pepjjer, it appears not to be indigenous in Asia, 

 and there is no authentic record of its cultivation in Europe 

 before the discovery of America. It is said to be really wild in 

 that continent, and Csesalpin and Clusius, late in the 16th 

 century, both speak of it as introduced from thence. Yet, in 

 the time of Matthioli, early in the same century, and conse- 

 quently, at a period when very little of the natural productions 

 of the New World had been transplanted to the Old, we find at 

 least three varieties well established and abundantly cultivated in 

 Italy under the name of Indian pepper, which is hardly probable 

 if it had been really introduced from America, then so recently 

 discovered. 



A curious instance of the slowness with which the use of 

 culinary vegetables is spread, is afforded by the large green mild 

 variety of Capsicum, which is so much eaten over a great part 

 of Spain and some of the adjoining French departments. It 

 was carried by the Spaniards into Naples during their dominion 

 in the 16th and 17th centuries, and has ever since remained 

 in common use there without spreading further. In Tuscany 

 it is scarcely known, except as an object of curiosity in botanical 

 gardens. It makes an excellent salad, having all the flavour 

 of the capsicum without the slightest pungency. 



The cultivation of the Su-eet potato or Batata (Ipomcea Batatas 

 or Batatas edulis) has been at various times attempted in 

 different parts of Italy, but as yet without success, notwith- 

 standing the strongest and repeated recommendations of its 

 importance. In a wild state, it is one of those maritime plants 

 which is spread over the shores of both the New and the Old 

 World, within or near the tropics, but its cultivation appears to 

 have originated with the Americans. It was evidently unknown 

 to the ancients, and the first mention of it on record is by 

 Pigafetta, who found it used as an article of food in Brazil, where 



