THE POTATO. 



271 



one of ita multiples being tlie prevalent number 

 iii almost every part of the flower, the very fre- 

 quent prevalence of both a calyx and corolla; 

 and lastly, the general aspect of the plants. 



Dicotyledonous plants have been distinguished 

 into four divisions, according to the structure of 

 the corolla, as the Apeialous, MonopetaUms, Po- 

 It/petalous, and Diclinous. 



There have been enumerated in the natural 

 system as belonging to this division one hundred 

 and twenty-five families, including a great pro- 

 portion of those trees, shrubs, and herbs, which 

 are conducive to the necessities or luxuries of 

 mankind. A systematic list of these natural 

 families we shall give afterwards; in the mean 

 time, we proceed to describe those vegetables 

 in this division which are appropriated as food 

 to man. 



TitE Potato, (solanum tuberosum.) This val- 

 uable plant belongs to the family Solai^eos of 

 Jussieu; almost all the species of which family 

 are of a poisonous and narcotic quality, as the 

 helladonna, solanum dulcamara, hi/osciamus, to- 

 bacco. What is remarkable, liowever, it is only 

 particular parts of many of these vegetables 

 whicli possess the narcotic qualities, the other 

 parts being perfectly innoxious and edible. Tlius 

 the root and berry of the dulcamara are per- 

 fectly harmless, as well as the root of the so- 

 iaimm tuberosum. The solaneae are characterised 

 by the peculiar form of the flower, of whicli that 

 of the potato is a familiar example. The potato 



belongs to the Linnaean class Pentandria ; order 

 Monogynia. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, 

 rising with a slender branching stem to the height 

 of two or three feet. The leaves are of a roundish 

 form, of unequal size, and of a dark green; the 

 petals are white, or of a purplish tinge; the 

 fruit is a large berry with a greenish pulp, which 

 latterly changes to black, containing numerous 

 small seeds in the centre. 



Besides the true roots of the plant, there are 

 numerous runners which grow out from the stem, 

 and which bear the tubers or potatoes. There 

 are numerous scars or eyes on the tuber, from 

 whence proceed the rootlets and future germs of 

 a new plant; hence, in cutting up potatoes for 

 seed, care must be taken that each division pos- 

 sesses one of these eyes or points of germination. 



The pointed end of the potato which is attached 

 to the runner or root, is more matured than the 

 rounder end, which is of a soft, waxy, and watery 

 nature, while the other is dry and farinaceous. 



Goniara, in his General History of the Indies, 

 and Josephus Acosta, are amongst thfe early 

 Spanish writers who have mentioned the potato 

 by the Indian names, opendnck, pape, and papas. 

 Clusius, and after him Gerard, gave figures of 

 the plant; and Gerard gave it the name of so- 

 lanum tuberosum, which Linnseus adopted. 



There is perhaps no vegetable product, not 

 even excepting the cerealia, or the most useful 

 of the palm tribe, which has proved of such es- 

 sential importance, or which is likely still to 

 have such an influence on the population of the 

 temperate regions as this admirable root. One 

 could scarcely have believed that, in little moi-e 

 than two centuries, a small and almost neglected 

 tuber, transported from the newly discovered 

 regions of Mexico, where it occupied but a very 

 insignificant space, and was but sparingly, if at 

 all used as human food, should have been mul- 

 tiplied so as to form the principal subsistence of 

 millions of human beings for succeeding gener- 

 ations. Humboldt, in his essay on the kingdom 

 of New Spain, gives the history of the potato. 

 He believes that the plant described l)y Molina 

 under the name of jMaglia, is tlie original stock 

 of this useful vegetable, and that it grows in 

 Chili in its native soil. He supposes that thence 

 it was transported by the Indian population to 

 Peru, Quito, New Granada, and the whole Cor- 

 dilleras. 



Among the Chonos islands, Mr Darwin saw 

 the wUd potato growing abundantly. They 

 grow near the sea beach in thick beds, on a sandy 

 shelly soil, wherever the trees are not too close 

 together. In the middle of January they were 

 in flower; but the tubers were small and few in 

 number, especially in those plants which grow 

 in the shade, and had the most luxuriant foliage, 

 "Nevertheless, I found one," says he, "which 

 was of an oval form, with a diameter two 

 inches in length. Tiie raw bulbs had precisely 

 the smell of the common potato of England; 

 but when cooked they shrunk, and became 

 watery and insipid. Tliey had not a bitter 

 taste, as, according to Molina, is the case with 

 the Chilian kind, and they could be eaten with 

 safety. Some plants measured from the ground 

 to the tip of the upper leaf, not less than four 

 feet. There can be no doubt, from the state in 

 which they grow, and from their being known 

 to the various Indian tribes scattered over the 

 country, that they are indigenous, and not im- 

 ported plants." * Mr Cruickshanks thus farther 

 corroborates the above remarks. 



1840 



Darwin's Natural History of voyaj?e to Sontli Sciw, 



