510 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



acrid or even poisonous. Probably many other of the exceedingly 

 numerous species of the genus Solanum may offer yet good-sized 

 edible berries, irrespective of those mentioned in these pages. 



Solanum muricatum, L'Hritier. 



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

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

 of six inches. 



Solanum oxycarpum, ScMede. 



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, colour 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 the 

 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- America, where it becomes extra- 

 tropical, also yields edible berries. 



Solanum tuberosum, Linn6.* 



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 Caudolle recently con- 

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

 specifically S. Bridgesii and S. Mandoni, both from Valdivia. As 

 other tuber-bearing Solanum s may be mentioned S. demissum 

 (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 



