STURTEV ant's NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 58 1 



authors who consider this the dwarf form, as the figiire given comes nearer to the tall, 

 as it was figured by J. Bauhin/ in his works printed in 1651, with the name scandens, 

 33 years before its introduction by Linnaeus. Ray,* 1686, speaks of its use as a vegetable, 

 and this use is also spoken of by Townsend,' 1726. In American gardens, this nasturtiiun 

 was noticed by McMahon,^ 1806, and by all the early garden writers as being the pre- 

 dominant kind in culture. The synonymy is as follows: 



Nasturtium I ndicum. Cam. /com. t. 3 1 . 1588. 

 Nastuftium Indicum. Indian cresses. Ger. 196. 1597. 

 Nasturtium indicum folio peltato scandens. Bauh, J. 2:75. 1651. 

 Cardamindum ampliore folio and majore flore. Feuille, Peru. 3: t. 8. 1725. 



T. minus Linn, dwarf nasturtium. 



Peru. The Dwarf nastvirtiimi was first brought into Europe from Peru, where it is 

 a native. It reached England in 1596 and is described by Gerarde ^ as coming from the 

 Indies into Spain and thence into France and Flanders, whence he received seeds. 

 The plant, like the tall nasturtium, is grown principally as an ornament, but the flowers 

 and leaves and green fruit may be used in salads or for pickling. This species seems to 

 have been first known in Europe about 1574; was described by Monardes;' is figured by 

 Lobel,' 1 576; and is generally spoken of about this period as a new and rare plant. It was 

 in the vegetable garden in England in 1726,' probably before, and is mentioned in American 

 gardens in 1806.' 



T. pentaphyllum Lam. five-leaved nasturtium. 



Brazil and Chile. This species furnishes an edible cress.'" It bears a three-lobed, 

 sweet, fleshy, edible berry, black, juicy and not unlike in appearance and flavor to the 

 Zante, or currant, grape." 



T. sessilifoliiim Poepp. & Endl. 



Chile. Philippi says this is one of the most ehgible of the species of this genus for 

 its tubers, which can be eaten even in a raw state.^^ 



T. tuberosum Ruiz & Pav. Peruvian nasturtium. 



Bolivia and Peru; long cultivated on the Peruvian Andes for its tuberous roots." 

 The tubers are called ysano, are yellow and red and about the size of small pears. They 



> Bauhin, J. Hist. PI. 2:75. 1651. 



Ray Hist. PI. 487. 1686. 



' Townsend Seedsman 40. 1 726. 



McMahon, B. Amer. Card. Cat. 318. 1806. 

 Gerarde, J. Herb. 251. 1633 or 1636; 195. 1597. 

 ' Hortiis Eystet. ord. 13, fol. I. 1713. 



' Lobel O65. 338. 1576. 



Townsend Seedsman 40. 1726. 



McMahon, B. Amer. Card. Cat. 318. 1806. 

 " Unger, F. V. S. Pat. Off. Rpt. 356. 1859. 



" Moore, T. Treas. Bot. 1:280. 1870. iChymocarptu pentaphyllum) 



"Mueller, P. 5e/. P/i. 493. 1891. 



" Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 678. 1879. 



