314 REVIEWS. 



facts of their dispersion, — which makes up the principal hulk 

 of the volume, namely, from page 23 to page 350. 



This part is divided into chapters, e. g.. Plants cultivated 

 for their subterranean parts, such as roots, bulbs, tubers, etc. 

 Those cultivated for their herbage, whether for human food, 

 for forage, for fibres, for stimulation, etc. ; but the proper 

 medical plants are left wholly out of view, as likewise plants 

 cultivated for ornament. So the chapter on plants cultivated 

 for their blossoms, or parts connected with these, is brief 

 enough, treating as it does only of the Clove, Hop, Safflower, 

 and Saffron. For the Rose, Acacia Farncsiana, and all plants 

 however largely cultivated for perfume or for essential oils are 

 left out of view. So also are the sweet-herbs of the kitchen- 

 garden, and all condiments, except Horse-radish. Plants cul- 

 tivated for their fruits and seeds occupy the closing chapters. 

 Among the latter the Cotton-plant is placed. The arrange- 

 ment matters little, and that adopted may be the most con- 

 venient. A good index makes ready reference to any topic. 



In the order of the book we come first to Ilelianthus tube- 

 rosus, the Topinambour of the French, Jerusalem Artichoke 

 of the English ; in the United States the tubers simply called 

 artichokes. Almost all we know of the origin and source of 

 these esculent tubers has been recovered since the publication 

 of De Candolle's earlier work, in 1855. Although the con- 

 temporary accounts specified its introduction from Canada, 

 and Linnaeus so cites it in the " Hortus Cliffortianus," the sub- 

 sequent reference to Brazil was followed without question 

 down to De Candolle's " Prodromus " ; and the present author, 

 in the work above mentioned, doubted the Canadian as well 

 as the Brazilian origin. It now appears that Schlechtendal 

 (in Botanische Zeitung, 1858) was the first to recover a part 

 of the documentary history. Our own article on the subject 

 — to which there is nothing of importance to add — was con- 

 tributed to this Journal for May, 1877. 1 Singularly, it has 



1 In it reference was made to Lescarbot's mention of roots "grosses 

 comme naveaux . . . ayans an gout retirant aux cardes," etc., and cited 

 his " Histoire de la Nouv. France," in the edition of 1G12 (p. 840). In a sub- 

 sequent edition (1G18), cited by M. De Candolle, Lescarbot adds that he 



