Wittmack — Our Present Knowledge of Ancient Plants. 15 
garis. Prof. Fischer Benzon of Kiel has confirmed this, in 
proving that Pliny insisted that the shell was thick and the 
hollowed fruits served as jars for wine. 
Of the other plants at Ancon I will only mention the pea- 
nut, which hails from eastern and western South America, 
although it is now so widely cultivated in Africa and even in 
China, that one might easily imagine it indigenous to those 
countries. 
It is the same with the Manioc, Manihot utilissima, or 
Tapioca, which is also so widely cultivated in Africa, even in 
inner Africa, that one might think its home was there. The 
roots have been found in Ancon and nobody now doubts that 
they came from America. 
Potatoes have not with certainty been found in Ancon, but 
sweet potatoes, Convolvulus Batatas, and small tubers have 
been found. Oxalis and cotton were found, but no tobacco 
or tomatoes. But these are surely American citizens as we 
all know. 
America has furnished to the world tobacco, several species 
of cotton, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, corn, lima 
beans, garden beans and peanuts. Forsooth, we in Europe 
have to be most thankful for all these precious gifts. 
Issued February 25,1905. 
