THE POTATO 519 



lows : ' Virginia potato hath many hollow, flexible 

 branches trailing upon the ground; these are 

 square, uneven, knotted or kneed in sundry places 

 at certaine distances : from the which knots cometh 

 forth one great leafe made of divers leaves, some 

 smaller and other greater, set together upon a 

 fat middle rib by couples, of a swart greene colour 

 tending to rednesse ; the whole leaf resembling those 

 of the Winter-Cresses, but much larger; in taste 

 at the first hke grasse, but afterwards sharp and 

 nipping the tongue. From the bosome of which 

 leaves come forth long round slender foot stalkes, 

 whereon grow very faire and pleasant floures, 

 made of one entire whole leafe, which is folded or 

 plaited in such strange sort, that it seemes to be a 

 floure made of five sundry small leaves, which can- 

 not easily be perceived, except the same be pulled 

 open. The whole floure is of a light purple colour, 

 striped downe the middle of every fold or welt with 

 a light show of yellownesse, as if purple and yellow 

 were mixed together. In the middle of the floure 

 thrusteth forth a thicke flat point all yellow as gold, 

 with a small sharp greene pricke or point in the 

 midst thereof. The fruit succeeds the floures, 

 round as a ball, of the bigness of a little Bullesse 

 or wild plumme, green at the first, and blacke when 

 it is ripe, wherein is contained small white seed 

 lesser than those of mustard; the root is thicke, fat, 

 and tuberous, not much diflfering either in shape, 

 colour or taste from the common potatoes, saving 

 that the roots hereof are not so great nor long; some 

 of them are as round as a ball, some oval or 

 egge-fashion, some longer, and others shorter; 

 the knobby roots are fastened unto the stalkes 

 with an infinite number of threddy strings. It 

 groweth naturallv in Americus where it was first 



