LOVE-APPLE.-SOLANUM ; 



Or, TOMATO-BERRY. 



In Botany, a Genus of the Pentandria Mono- 

 gynia Class. Natural Order, Luridtf. 



THE love-apple, or tomato, is the fruit of the 

 ly copersion, an herbaceous branching plant, or 

 vine, with a hairy stem, and a rank smell. 



It is a native of South America, and in all 

 probability of Mexico; from whence it ap- 

 pears to have been brought by the Spaniards, 

 who, as Barham observes, use them in their 

 sauces and gravies; because the juice, as they 

 say, is as good as any gravy, and so by its 

 richness warms the blood. 



Dodoens, in his Pemptades, published at 

 Antwerp, in 1583, describes it as growing at 

 that time in the continental gardehs, and says, 

 that it's fruit was eaten dressed with pepper, 

 salt, and oil. 



Parkinson, whose works were published 

 in 1656, mentions it as being cultivated in 

 England for ornament and curiosity only. 



