140 INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY—PUBLICATION NO. 4 
In Southwest Guatemala, I found potato cultivation 
confined almost entirely to large “American” varieties, (S. 
tuberosum), red and especially white, probably imported 
within relatively recent years. In competition with this is a 
small, round red potato (S. andigenum f. guatemalense), 
probably a pre-Columbian introduction here, little developed 
beyond the wild state. It is raised in small quantity in the 
southwest, but on a large scale to the north, in the Cuchu- 
matanes Mountains, and is brought into the Quezaltenango- 
Totonicapan region by Todos Santos men for sale in the 
markets, where the demand for them is extraordinary.** 
The more important, large “Irish” potato began, accord- 
ing to the Russians, in Chile; then it was taken to Europe 
where it was cultivated and improved, especially in east 
Prussia in the 18th century, through the instigation and edict 
of Frederick the Great. Its importance in the British Isles 
gave it the usual name “Irish.” After finding its way back, 
then, to North America, where it was further improved and 
perfected, this potato was reintroduced into Latin America. 
Pre-Columbian ceramic representations which I have seen 
in Peru (eg., Mochica and Nasca vessels) indicate also, 
however, a large, well-developed potato similar to the “Irish” 
potato of modern agriculture. 
Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus).—This minor food plant 
has a white turniplike root, which Standley and Calderon 
describe in Salvador as attaining the size of a man’s head. 
I have seen very large ones of this description near Pueblo 
Nuevo, Retalhuleu. They occasionally appear in the mar- 
kets, mainly in the Lowlands. Bukasov (1930) calls it a 
“very old cultivated plant of Mexico and Central America.” 
Evidence seems to point to its nativity here. Standley (1931, 
p. 228) considers it a native of Mexico. His statement that 
they are eaten raw in Honduras is also true in the Guate- 
mala Lowlands. 
Quequexque (Xanthosoma spp.).—This is another genus, 
“akin to the Colacasia (taro) of the Old World” (Bukasov, 
1930), that supplies a large edible root, there being a number 
of species, of which Bukasov cites X. sagittifoliwm as the 
“most extensively cultivated.” Standley and Calderon (1925, 
p. 45) list X. vilaceum, the common Antillean species, as an 
edible Salvadoranean plant abundant along stream banks. 
Among the many native American names given is “Yautia” 
(Yucatan, Vera Cruz), indicating that it may be the same 
“vahutia” that was listed by Oviedo as “one of the poorest of 
the cultivated plants of the Indians.” The natives, however, 
appeared to be very fond of it, and raised it in quantity, 
whereas the Spaniards regarded it only as “emergency 
rations” (Oviedo, 1851-55, vol. 1, pp. 274-275). Bukasov 
calls it a “very old cultivated plant of Brazil, largely on the 
basis of the numerous native names, the Antilles, and the 
Atlantic coast of Central America and Mexico.” 
#0 My field notes in this connection, taken at San Cristobal Totoni- 
capan, March 29, 1936, are as follows: ‘Two men from Todos Santos 
were being stormed by local women to buy their small, red potatoes. 
Police keeping people back, calling for order, and trying to prevent 
thieving. This appeared to be high point of activity in entire market.” 
The same performance was repeated on the next Sunday, April 5, when 
there were four Todos Santos vendors instead of two, and on April 19, 
when there were six. The explanation of this demand seemed to be 
that their potatoes sold at 2 pounds for 1% cents, or half the price of 
the large ‘American’? ones from Concepcién Chiquirichapa. Competi- 
tors from there said Todos Santos potatoes were “‘muy gusano” (very 
wormy). Many natives seemed to prefer them, however, for their flavor. 
MISCELLANEOUS NATIVE AMERICAN 
PLANTS 
Tomato (tomate, Lycopersicon spp.).—Of the several 
cultivated species of tomato, the Russians found the follow- 
ing two “most richly represented” in Central America: L. 
cerasiforme and L. esculentum, the latter in particular being 
the “richest species, containing at present more than 200 
varieties. The deeply lobed L. esculentum var. columbianum 
was collected by the Russians in several parts of Guatemala 
(Guatemala City, Amatitlan, Quezaltenango). From the 
description and illustration (Bukasov, 1930, p. 285, and fig. 
181), it is apparent that this is the common tomato of Indian 
cultivation in Southwest Guatemala, particularly around 
Lake Atitlan (pl. 4, e). It is probably the tomate del pats, or 
criollo, for the fruits range in size from about 2 to 5 cm. 
There is a very small, round one (usually 1 to 2 cm.) called 
tomate de culebra (tomatillo, Standley, 1938, p. 1064), grown 
in many of the Lake villages, especially at San Antonio and 
Santiago, and appearing not infrequently in the markets. In 
all probability it is a wild or retrograde escaped form of 
L. esculentum var. cerasiforme. The fact that this variety 
was most frequently seen by the Russians indicates the wide- 
spread occurrence of small, globular forms throughout Cen- 
tral America. In certain of the Lake villages, especially 
San Pedro, where gardening is practiced, large tomate man- 
sano (literally, “apple-tomatoes”) from imported American 
seeds are grown with irrigation. 
The history of tomato cultivation in Guatemala roughly 
parallels that of the potato. Both American, domesticated 
from poisonous nightshades, they apparently were little de- 
veloped, half wild, before the invading white man took them 
over, introduced them with some difficulty into his own lands, 
improved them through selective breeding, and then brought 
them back as “exotics” to the place of their origin. This 
appears to bear out the statement of Bukasov (1930) that 
“there is ground for the assumption that the tomato as an 
aborigene of America might not be the cultivated plant, but 
only the [utilized] wild and often rudimentary plant.” The 
fact that Hernandez and other early writers, including 
Oviedo y Valdés, make no mention of the tomato among the 
cultivated plants of Mexico, may be regarded as further 
evidence “that the cultivation of the tomato was not known 
among the Aztecs.” 
Groundcherry (miltomate, Physalis spp.).—This low- 
growing plant, seldom over 1 m. high, occurs in many parts 
of Central America as a weed, but it is frequently cultivated. 
The widespread use of the small (usually under 2 cm.) yel- 
lowish-green fruit in sauces, soups, and preserves extends, 
according to Bukasov, through Central America, from the 
United States-Mexican border. P. angulata and P. aequata, 
the latter having been almost the only one collected 
in Mexico by Bukasov, are the two species listed. The husk 
of the “groundcherry” facilitates transportation, according 
to the same author, who characterizes it as “very non-exact- 
ing,” it having succeeded in Russia as far north as Leningrad 
(Bukasov, 1930, ch. 18). 
27 According to V. I. Mazkevicz (Bukasov, 1930) L. cerasiforme is 
usually given as a variety of L. esculentum (Standley, 1938, p. 1064). 
28 The Russians reported this “wild growing’? tomato in Guatemala 
only “in Antigua’ (Bukasov, 1930, p. 275). 
