302 NATURAL HISTORY. 



on long, round foot-stalks, trifoliate or three-lobed ; 

 leaflets obovate. Grows in swamps and margins -of 

 ponds. Root about as thick as a finger, branching; 

 descending deep into the earth. Flowers pale red. very 

 ornamental, arranged in pyramidal clusters. Contains a 

 bitter principle, considered actively medicinal. It . 



FORTY-FIFTH FAMILY. COXVOLVULACE^E. BIND- 

 WEEDS. These are plants which climb to a considerable 

 height by twining their elastic stems around those of 

 other plants. (Class 5, L.) 



Small Bind Weed (Convolvulus arvensia). Stem 

 contains a milky juice ; leaves arrow-shaped ; found in 

 fields, vineyards, etc., as weeds. Flowers white, marked 

 with red ; the whole plant is filled with an acrid, milky 

 sap; not poisonous and readily eaten by cattle. O- 



Convolvulus Batatas Sweet Potato (Batatas edu- 

 lis. Choisy). Stem creeping ; leaves heart-shaped, 

 lanceolate, five-lobed; acuminate. Native of both In- 

 dies ; planted everywhere in the south for the sake of 

 the tuberous roots, which furnish nutritive and palatable 

 food ; somewhat resemble the common potato ; do not 

 contain so much farina, but a great deal of sugar ; many 

 prefer it to the Irish Potato (Tuberus solanum). Eas- 

 ily cultivated in sandy soils (New Jersey), where they 

 yield a profitable crop.* They are planted in hills or 

 rows, like corn, or the common potato, by dividing the 

 tubers, leaving an eye or bud in each piece ; each of 

 these contain a germ of the plant, and send forth a root. 

 The leaves and tender shoots are also eaten. Cultivated 



* Supposed to be the same species of roots as those which Colum- 

 bus's sailors were treated with by the inhabitants of Cuba. They 

 described them as being very sweet, and, when boiled, tasting like 

 chestnuts. Tr. 



