NIGHTSHADE TRIBE. 443 



the coldest, and are most abundant within the tropics. 

 The prevailing property of plants belonging to the Night- 

 shade Tribe is narcotic, and many are, in consequence, 

 highly poisonous ; in others, certain parts of the plant 

 have poisonous properties, the rest being harmless, and 

 some even contain a large quantity of nutritious matter. 

 The genus Solatium is a very extensive one, comprising 

 as many as 600 species. First among these in import- 

 ance stands the Potato (S. tuberosum), a native of Chili, 

 Lima, Quito, and Mexico, which was introduced into 

 Bpain in the early part of the 16th century, and into 

 Ireland by the colonists sent out by Sir Walter Kaleigh, 

 who brought it from Virginia in 1586. It was first 

 planted on Sir Walter Ealeigh's estate at Youghall, near 

 Cork, and was cultivated for food in that country long 

 before its value was known in England. Its leaves and 

 berries are narcotic, but its tubers contain no noxious 

 matter, abounding in an almost tasteless starch ; on 

 which account it is less liable to cloy on the palate than 

 any other vegetable food except bread. S. Melongena 

 (the Egg-plant), a common greenhouse plant, is remark- 

 able for bearing a large berry of the size and colour of 

 a pullet's egg. S. Dulcamara, (Nightshade, or Bitter- 

 sweet,) a common English plant, with purple and yellow 

 flowers, has narcotic leaves and scarlet berries, which 

 possess the same property. S. nigrum, a smaller species, 

 a common weed in England and most other countries, 

 except the coldest, has white flowers and black berries. 

 It is narcotic to a dangerous degree. Atropa Belladonna, 

 a stout herbaceous plant, with dingy purple bell-shaped 

 flowers, is the Deadly Nightshade, so called from the 

 poisonous nature of every part of the plant, especially 

 the berries, which are large, black and shining, and of a 

 very attractive appearance. Its juice possesses the sin- 

 gular property of dilating the pupil of the eye, on which 

 account it is extensively used by oculists when operations 

 are to be performed. The Mandrake (Mandrdgora 

 officinalis) was anciently thought to possess miraculous 



