History 



17 



It should be noticed how closely the description of the 

 potato at this early date corresponds with the plant as 

 grown to-day. He says : " Virginia potato hath many 

 hollow, flexible branches trailing upon the ground ; 

 these are square, 

 uneven, knotted or 

 kneed in sundry 

 places at certaine 

 distances : from 

 the which knots 

 Cometh forth one 

 great leafe made of 

 divers leaves, some 

 smaller and other 

 greater, set to- 

 gether upon a fat 

 middle rib by 

 couples, of a swart 

 green colour tend- 

 ing to redness ; the 

 whole leaf resem- 

 bling those of the 

 Winter-Cresses, but 

 much larger ; in 

 taste at the first 

 like grasse, but af- 

 terwards sharp and 

 nipping the tongue. 

 From the bosome of which leaves come forth long round 

 slender foot stalkes, whereon grew very faire and pleasant 

 floures, made of one entire whole leafe, which is folded or 

 plaited in such strange sort, that it seems to be a floure 

 made of five sundrv small leaves, which cannot easilv be 



Fig. 6. Copy of the engraving of the Vir- 

 ginian potato in Gerard's ""Herbal" — printed 

 in 1636. 



