348 sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



1763. *rhe grape, or cluster, tomato is recorded in American gardens by Burr,* 1863, 

 and as the red currant tomato by Vilmorin,* 1883 and 1885. It is an exceedingly vigorous 

 and hardy variety with delicate foliage and fruits most abundantly. The berries make 

 excellent pickles. 



According to the test of cross-fertilization,- few, if any, of the above groups are true 

 species. Two only, the cherry and the currant tomato, are recorded in a truly wild con- 

 dition. The tomato has, however, been under cultivation from a remote period by the 

 Nahua and other Central American nations and reached Europe and American culture, 

 as all the evidence implies, in an improved condition. If there is any evidence that any 

 of our so-called types arose spontaneously from the influences of culture, it is not noted. 

 We may well ask, why did not other forms appear during the interval from 1558 to 1623, 

 when but one sort, and that figured as little variable, received the notice of the early 

 botanists? ^^ 



Maba buxifolia Pers. Ehenaceae. satinwood. 



Asia and African tropics. The fruit is edible, the taste sweetish and not unpalatable 

 but it is scarcely worth the trouble of eating, the seed being so large in proportion to the 

 pulp.* 



M. inconstans Griseb. 



West Indies. The fruit, at first yellow, then red, is edible, with an imgrateful smell 

 and an insipid taste. It is an inch in diameter.* 



M. major Forst. f. 



Fiji Islands and India. In India, the fruit is eaten.* 



Macadamia temifolia F. Muell. Proteaceae. nut tree. 



Subtropics of east Australia. The nuts have the taste of hazels.*. 



Madia sativa Molina. Compodtae. madia-oil plant. 



Western North and South America. This plant is ciiltivated in Chile, France, Germany 

 and Italy for the sake of the limpid and sweet oil which is expressed from its seeds. This 

 oil is used as a substitute for olive oil. The seeds yield about 41 per cent to analysis and 

 from 26 to 28 per cent to the oil-press, according to Boussingault, whose experiment in 

 1840 gave 635 pounds of oil and 1706 pounds of oil cake per acre. The plant is easily 

 cultivated, requiring management similar to seed clover, but, owing to the glutinous nature 

 of the stems and stalks, the seeds require to be threshed and sown as soon as the crop is 

 cut, otherwise fermentation injures them.'' 



' Burr, F. Field, Card. Veg. 646. 1863. 



' Vilmorin Feg. Gard. 573. 1885. {Solatium racemiflorum) 



'Wight, R. Illustr. Ind. Bot. 2:146. 1850. 



Don, G. Hist. Dichl. Pis. 4:39. 1838. (Diospyros psidiodes) 



' Unger, F. U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt. 337. 1859. 



Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. 266. 1891. 



' Unger, F. U. S. D. A. Rpt. 175. 1870. 



