PLANTS CULTIVATED FOR THEIR STEMS OR LEAVES. 115 



division of the Latin languages. In the north the case 

 is very different. There is a Russian name, toritsa ; l 

 several Danish names, humb or hum, girr or Jcirr ; 2 and 

 Swedish, knuttjryle, ndgde, skorff? This great diversity 

 shows that attention had long been drawn to this plant 

 in this part of Europe, and argues an ancient cultivation. 

 It was cultivated in the neighbourhood of Montbelliard 

 in' the sixteenth century, 4 and it is not stated that it was 

 then of recent introduction. Probably it arose in the 

 south of Europe during the Roman occupation, and per- 

 haps earlier in the north. In any case, its original home 

 must have been Europe. 



Agriculturists distinguish a taller variety of spergula, 5 

 but botanists are not agreed with them in finding in it 

 sufficient characteristics of a distinct species, and some 

 do not even make it a variety. 



Guinea Grass Panicum maximum, Jacquin. 6 



This perennial grass has a great reputation in countries 

 lying between the tropics as a nutritious fodder, easy of 

 cultivation. With a little care a meadow of guinea 

 grass will last for twenty years. 7 



Its cultivation appears to have begun in the West 

 Indies. P. Browne speaks of it in his work on Jamaica, 

 published in the middle of the last century, and it is 

 subsequently mentioned by Swartz. 



The former mentions the name guinea grass, without 

 any remarks on the original home of the species. The 

 latter says, " formerly brought from the coast of Africa to 

 the Antilles." He probably trusted to the indication 

 given by the common name ; but we know how fallacious 



Sobolewski, Fl. Petrop., p. 109. 

 Rafn, Danmarlcs Flora, ii. p. 799. 



Wahlenberg, quoted by Moritzi, Diet. MS. ; Svensk Botanilc, t. 308. 

 Bauhin, Hist. Plant., iii. p. 722. 



Spergula Maxima, Boninghausen, an illustration published in Rei- 

 chenbach's Plantce Crit., vi. p. 513. 



6 Panicum maximum, Jacq., Coll. 1, p. 71 (1786) ; Jacq., Icones 1, 

 t. 13 ; Swartz, Fl. India Occ., vii. p. 170 ; P. polygamum, Swartz, Prodr., 

 p. 24 (1788) ; P. jumentorum, Persoon Ench., i. p. 83 (1805) ; P. 

 altissimum of some gardens and modern authors. According to the 

 rule, the oldest name should be adopted. 



7 In Dominica according to Imray, in the Kew Report for 1879, p. 16. 



