CULTIVATED PLANTS. 147 



names derived from the Asiatic towns whence they were intro- 

 duced, and they were also in common use among the Romans. 

 Of the five species mentioned as now grown in Tuscany, the 

 Chives (AlHum schcenoprasum), a common European plant, already 

 cultivated in the time of Theophrastus, is the only one admitted 

 to be indigenous, but the Leek (Allium porrum) is evidently a 

 mere variety of the Allium ampeloprasum, which also ranges 

 over a great part of Europe. The Shallot (Allium ascalonicum) 

 was very early introduced from Syria or Asia Minor, where it is 

 still found wild. The Onion (Allium cepa *) will probably prove 

 identical with the Allium fistulosum, a species having a rather 

 extended range in the mountains of South Russia, and whose 

 south-western limits are as yet unascertained. The Garlic 

 (Allium sativum), including the Rocambole (Allium ophioscorodon), 

 which is a mere variety, is indicated in several South 

 Mediterranean floras, but in some instances the evidence of its 

 being really wild is far from satisfactory. 



The cultivated Beets are refen-ed by Italian botanists to two 

 species, of which one only. Beta cicla, is admitted to be of native 

 origin, whilst the true Beta vulgaris is stated to be indigenous to 

 Central Asia, Egypt, and the shores of the Mediterranean, to the 

 exclusion of Italy. Moquin-Tandon has, however, more correctly 

 reunited the whole under the Linnean name of Beta vulgaris, 

 of which he reduces the numerous forms to three principal races : 

 First, the Wild Beet, with a slender, hard root, spai'ingly intro- 

 duced into kitchen-gardens for the foliage, occasionally cooked 

 with sorrel to diminish the acidity of the latter. Second, the 

 White Beet, poiree or jwiree-carde of the French, with a thicker, 

 but still hard root, with enlarged leaves and a great tendency to 

 succulence in the petioles, which are blanched like cardoons for 

 culinary purposes. This vegetable is frequently mentioned by 

 ancient Greek and Roman writers. Third, the beet-root, barha- 

 bietola of Italian gardens, betterave of the French, so well known 

 for its sweet and succulent root, was first introduced into Italy 

 in the sixteenth century, from Germany, where it was probably 

 first produced. A sub-variety of the beet-root, with a somewhat 

 coarser and larger root, now become so important an article in 

 agriculture, was originally put forward under the name of root of 

 scarcity, racine de disette in French, or mangel vrnrzel m German, 



* The supposed principal botanical character, the dilatation and lateral 

 tooth of three of the filaments, is often ill-defined or disappears altogether 

 in our garden onions. 



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