61 



The difficulty of securing precise and reliable information re- 

 garding the origin and history of cultivated plants is appreciated 

 by all who have made the attempt. For the most part, the data 

 of this sort contained in readily accessible works is exceedingly 

 scanty and too frequently it is of doubtful accuracy. Hitherto 

 the works of De CandoUe have been regarded as the most au- 

 thoritative source of information along these lines ; but De Can- 

 doUe gives the origin of barely 250 cultivated plants. The present 

 volume lists nearly 3.000 species of plants which may be used for 

 food, most of them cultivated, and especial stress is laid on their 

 origins and histories. Of particular value in this connection are 

 the copious references to the literature, upwards of 6.000 separate 

 citations being given, and nearly 500 different titles being quoted 

 in the bibliography. 



Bringing together, as it does, and making available for con- 

 venient reference a vast body of facts relative to edible plants, 

 gathered from many widely scattered and often virtually inac- 

 cessible sources, Sturtevant's work would be of great value if 

 only as a compilation or compendium of existing knowledge. 

 But the book is more than a compilation : it embodies many orig- 

 inal observations on the part of the author — facts not before 

 brought to light and new points of view regarding facts already 

 known. The original home of many esculents is here definitely 

 recorded for the first time ; new landmarks in the history of edible 

 plants are pointed out and much new information is brought 

 forth regarding the history of plants, especially those of the New 

 World ; fresh observations are presented regarding variations in 

 plants induced by cultivation ; and many data are set down that 

 will throw light on various problem.s of plant geography and 

 acclimatization. 



The subject-matter in the text is arranged alphabetically, by 

 genera and species, the Index Kewensis being taken as the stand- 

 ard of nomenclature. Following the scientific name, for each 

 genus, is the natural family to which it belongs ; for each species, 

 one or more of the English common names. The descriptive 

 matter, which varies in length from a single printed line to as 



