30 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



of different people ; the pilgrimages 1o Palestine; the travels of 

 merchants, and trade itself, have brought to us great numbers of 

 new plants, and have carried our plants to many distant regions. 

 Almost all our garden vegetables have been brought from Italy and 

 the East ; and the most of our grains have come to us from the same 

 quarter. By the discovery of America we have received different 

 vegetables, which formerly were unknown to us, but which are now 

 common. 



The thorn apple (Datura Stramonium), that is now known over 

 almost all Europe, the cold countries of Sweden, Lapland and 

 Russia excepted, as a poisonous plant, was brought to us from the 

 East Indies, and was so generally dispersed, by means of Gypsies, 

 who used the seeds of it medicinally as an emetic and cathartic. 



The kidney-bean, (Phaseolus vulgaris), the Phaseolus nanus, 

 Impatiens Bahamina, and the Panicum miliaceum (millet) were 

 likewise brought from the East Indies. 



Buck-wheat, the most of our grains and pulse, have come To us 

 from the East through Italy. 



Apples, Pears, Plums, Cherries (Prunus avium), Medlars (Mes- 

 pilus germanica), Crataegus lorminalis, and the hazel nut, are 

 originally German plants. In warmer countries they are, however, 

 much more delicious. The numerous varieties of these to be 

 found in our gardens we have received from Italy, Greece, and the 

 Levant. 



The horse-chesnut, (iEsculus Hippocastanum), according to 

 Clusius, came to Europe from the north of Asia in the year 1550. 

 The Crown Imperial, (Fritillaria imperialis), we received first from 

 Constantinople, in the year 1570. 



After the discovery of America, many plants from that country 

 have been naturalized in this. The potatoe was first described in 

 1590, by Caspar Bauhin; and Sir Walter Raleigh, in the year 1623, 

 brought it from Virginia to Ireland, whence it has been distributed 

 over the whole of Europe. 



The (Enothera biennis was first introduced by the French, on 

 account of its esculent root, in 1674 ; since which time it has grown 

 so common, that it grows wild in almost every country of Europe 

 in hedges and about the villages. 



Tobacco (Nicotiana Tabacum), was first described by Conrad 



