240 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



also be well utilised for starch. Varieties with red, white and 

 yellow roots occur. Each tuber weighs generally from 3 to 5 Ibs., 

 but may occasionally attain to 56 Ibs. in adequate climes and soils. 

 Rich yield is 200 to 300 bushels from an acre. Becomes an 

 exhaustive crop. The total harvest of tubers in the United States 

 was estimated for 1886 to have been 40 million bushels, this culture 

 extending to 40 1ST. there. [J. R. Dodge.] Propagation from 

 small tubers or stem-cuttings or tuber-buds. Professor Wittmack 

 obtained seeds from the ancient graves of Ancon. 



Cooler regions of Venezuela. The tubers serve as sweet potatoes. 

 I. platanifolia (Roemer and Schultes), from Central America, and 

 I. mammosa (Choisy), from Amboina, are similarly useful. 



Eastern Central Australia. Hardy in the south of France [Prof. 

 Naudin]. The stems cover the ground for a radius of several yards ; 

 the spots become picturesque by the showy large flowers for 8 

 months in the year; the tubers are formed at 4 or 5 yards' distance 

 along running roots, weigh from 5 to 30 Ibs., and are a fair esculent. 

 The plant likes a ferruginous loam [Rev. Dr. Woolls]. 



Xpomoea chrysorrhiza, J. Hooker. 



New Zealand, where it is called by the Maories, ' Kuneara." 

 The tubers serve like those of I. Batatas, and several varieties are 

 distinguished in cultivation. 



Xpomoea costata, F. v. Mueller. 



Central and North-Western Australia. Produces edible tubers. 



Xpomoea graminea, E. Brown. 



Tropical Australia. The root, called "Mallamak," is eaten by 

 the natives either raw or baked [Foelsche]. 



Xpomoea meg-apotamica, Choisy. 



Southern Brazil and Argentina. The root attains several pounds 

 weight, and serves as jalap. Propagation by pieces of the root or 

 from cuttings of the underground-stem. 



Xpomoea paniculata, R. Erown. 



Almost a cosmopolitan plant on tropical coasts ; this also indi- 

 genous to North- Australia and the warmer parts of East- Australia. 

 The tubers of this species also are edible. If hardy, the plant 

 would deserve cultivation in any mild extra-tropical countries also. 



