462 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Solanum muricatum, L'Heritier. 



The Pepino of Pern. A shrubby species, yielding egg-shaped 

 edible berries, which are white with purple spots, and attain a 

 length of six inches. 



Solanum oxycarpum. Schiede. 



Central Mexico. A species with very small tubers only in its 

 wild state, which culture may however further develop. 



Solanum Quitoense, Lamarck. 



Ecuador, Peru. A shrubby plant. The berries resemble small 

 oranges in size, color and even somewhat in taste, and are of a 

 peculiar fragrance. To this S. Plumierii (Dunal) from the West- 

 Indian Islands is cognate, as well as S. Topiro (Kunth) from tlie 

 Orinoco-region. 



Solanum torvum, Swartz. 



From the West-Indies to Peru. A shrubby species, with yellow 

 spherical berries of good size, which seem also wholesome. Other 

 species from tropical America have shown themselves sufficiently 

 hardy, to induce us to recommend the test-culture of such kinds of 

 plants. Many of them are highly curious and ornamental. S. 

 sisymbrifolium (Lamarck) of South -Am erica, where it. becomes 

 extra- tropical, also yields edible berries. 



Solanum tuberosum, Limit'.* 



The Potato. Andes of South-America, particularly of Chili and 

 Peru, but not absolutely trans -equatorial, as it extends into Bolivia, 

 Ecuador and Columbia. It is also wild in the Argentine-territory, 

 and extends northward into the United States and Mexico, in its 

 variety boreale (S. Fendleri,*Gray). In reference to nativity see 

 Sir Joseph Hooker's notes on the wild forms of the potato-plant in 

 the Flora Antarctica ii., 329'332. - Alph. de Candolle recently con- 

 fines the nativity of the true potato-plant to Chili, and distinguishes 

 specifically S. Bridgesii and S. Mandoni, both from ..Valdi via. As 

 other tuber-bearing Solanums may be mentioned S. demissuni 

 (Lindley) and S. Bulbocastanum (Dunal) from Mexico. Dr. 

 Masters draws attention to S. montanum (Linne) from Peru. Mr. 

 J. G. Baker regards as varieties of S. tuberosum : S. etuberosum. 

 S. Fernandezianum. S. immite, S. Columbianum, S. Otites, S. 

 Venezuela, S. verrucosum, S. debile, S. stoloniferum, S. utile, S. 

 squamulosum, S. Fendleri. The production of this important escu- 

 lent is still possible in parts of Iceland, while tests, suggested by 

 the writer of this work, have proved, that as a winter-crop the 

 potato can also yet be had in Central Australia. In Norway, it can 

 be grown as far north as 71 7 7 [Schuebeler]. In the Australian 

 Alps reared successfully to 4,800 feet [J. Stirling]. From some 

 varieties of potatoes three crops may be obtained within a year in 



