STURTEVANTS NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS I7I 



Camerarius,* 1596; Dalechamp,^ 1587. Green and spotted, by Bauhin,' 1596. Black- 

 ish, by Gerarde,^ iS97- 



Flesh. Red, by Baiohin,^ 1596; 1623,* Marcgravius,' 1648. White, by Bauhin,' 

 1596, 1623;' Chabraeus,'" 1677. Scarlet, by Marcgravius," 1648. Pale red, by Piso,^^ 

 1658; Lonreirti,!' 1790. Yellow, by Bryant," 1783. Flesh-color, by Josselyn, 1663. 



Seed. Chestnut-brown, by Fuchsius.^* 1542. Purple-red, by Tragus,^^ 1552. Black, 

 by Matthiolus,!^ 1570; Camerarius,'* 1596; Dalechamp,'' 1587; Bauhin,^'' 1596; J. Bauhin.^' 

 165 1. Red, by Matthiolus,^ 1570; Bauhin,^^ 1596; Sloane,^* 1696; Bryant,^^ 1783. Reddish, 

 by Camerarius,^' 1586. Brown, by Baiihin,^' 1596; Marcgravius,^' 1648. Raven-black, 

 by Marcgravius,-^ 1648. White, by J. Bauhin,'" 1651. Sculptured, by Forskal,^' i775- 



It is interesting to note that the older writers described some varieties as sweet, others 

 as insipid and acid. Livingstone ^^ describes the wild watermelons of South Africa as 

 some sweet and wholesome, others bitter and deleterious. The bitter or acid forms do 

 not now appear in our culture. 



The most surprising plant of the South African desert, writes Livingstone, is the 

 kengwe or kerne, the watermelon. In years when more than the usual quantity of rain 



' Camerarius Epit. 297. 1586. 



' Dalechamp Hist. Gen. PI. (Lugd.) 625. 1597. 



' Bauhin, C. Phytopinax 622. 1596. 



*Gerarde, J. Heth.-jd-]. 1597. 



' Bauhin, C. Phytopinax 622. 1596. 



Bauhin, C. Pinax t,\2. 1623. 



' Marcgravius Hist. Rerum Nat. Bras. 22. 1648. (Piso) 



' Bauhin, C. Phytopinax 622. 1596. 



' Bauhin, C. Pinax 312. 1623. 



' Chabraeus Icon. Sciag. 133. 1677. 



" Marcgravius Hist. Rerum Nat. Bras. 22. 1648. (Piso) 



Piso De Ind. 263. 1658. 



" Lourerio Fl. Cochin. 594. 1790. 



" Bryant Fl. Diet. 269. 1783. 



" Fuchsius Hist. Stirp. 702. 1542. 



" Tragus Stirp. 832. 1552. 



" Matthiolus Comment. 369. 1570. 



" Camerarius Epit. 297. 1586. 



" Dalechamp Hist. Gen. PI. (Lugd.) 625. 1587. 



"Bauhin, C. Phytopinax 622. 1596. 



Bauhin, J. Hist. PL 2:236. 1651. 



Matthiolus Comment. 369. 1570. 



^ Bauhin, C. Phytopinax 622. 1596. 



Sloane, H. Cat. 103. 1696. 



Bryant Fl. Diet. 269. 1783. 



* Camerarius Epit. 297. 1586. 



"Bauhin Phytopinax 622. 1596. 



" Marcgravius Hist. Rerum Nat. Bras. 22. 1648. (Piso) 



Ibid. 



"Bauhin, J. Hist. PL 2:236. 1651. 



Forskal, P. FL Aeg. Arab, i : 122, 167. 1775. 



" Livingstone, D. Trav. Research. So. Afr. 54. 1858. 



