194 THE TEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



15. SOLANACEJS (Atropa belladonna) Deadly Nightshade. 

 (Solanum tuberosum) Potato. 

 (Capsicum annuum) Capsicum. 

 (Hyoscyamus niger) Henbane. 

 (Nicotiana Tabacum) Tobacco. 



A great many members of this order are poisonous, 

 among which the Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Bella- 

 donna) is the most virulent, there are also Henbane and 

 Tobacco, both strong poisons ; 

 but, to compensate for this bad 

 character, the order contains one 

 of the most useful vegetables 

 used in Europe the Potatoe. 

 This is the tuber of the " Solanum 

 tuberosum." The following ac- 

 count of the introduction of the 

 Potatoe into England is from the 

 " Penny Cyclopaedia " : 



" Queen Elizabeth, in 1584, 

 granted a patent * for planting 

 and discovering in new countries, 

 not possessed by Christians,' and, 

 under this sanction, some ships, 

 Tobacco. principally equipped by Sir 



Walter Kaleigh, sailed with him 



to America. Thomas Harriott (afterwards known as a 

 mathematician) who accompanied the adventurous 

 squadron, transmitted to England the description of a 

 plant, called Openawk by the natives of that part of 

 America, which the courtier-like gallantry of Raleigh had 

 named ' Virginia.' Harriott described the Openawk as 

 having the roots round, and ' hanging together as if fixed 

 on ropes, and good for food either boiled or roasted.' 

 G-irarde in his Herbal a few years subsequently, dis- 

 tinguished the plant by a plate, and not only confirmed 

 the assertion that it was an indigenous production of 

 Virginia, whence he himself had obtained it, but 



