415 
Eaten as a vegetable in India Forges res W. Afr. p. 390), 
the young shoots, leaves and roots are eaten. The v riety with 
white roots is cultivated in Madras, being peer by small 
pieces of the creeper about 6 in. long (Dict. Econ. Prod. India); 
also cultivated by the Chinese and in Malaya (Agrie. Bull. Str. 
Settl. and Fed. Malay States 1898, p. 186). 
An idem plant trailing on muddy river banks or in the water. 
Seen constantly along the banks of Nigerian rivers (Parsons, 
Herb. Kew), on the shores of Lake Chad (Elliott, Herb. Kew), 
and prostrate in muddy places, Katagum (Dalziel, Herb. Kew). 
Propagated by ne grows quickly and might be cultivated 
like water-cres 
Ref.—‘‘ Tosca: aquatica," in Dict. Econ. Prod. India, Watt, 
iv. 1890, pp. 476-478. 
Ipomoea Batatas, Lam.; Fl. Trop. Afr. IV. Sect. 2, p. 175. 
Iil.—Rbeede, m Mal. vii. t. 50; Catesby, Nat. Hist. Carolina, 
Florida and Ba a Is. ii. 0 (Convolvulus une tuberoso 
esculenta); andar AGE £3 Desc. Ant. . 045, t. 546 
(var. ‘‘ Patate des dunes, "4 Patate de Sins” ^u Duthie, Field 
crops, tt. 87, 88; Sinclair, Indig. Fl. Hawaiian Is. t. 15; Zippel, 
Ausl. Handels, Nährpf. t. 59 (Batatas edulis); Jumelle, Les Cult. 
ol. Pl. Aliment. p. 63, f. 18; Bailey, Cycl. American Hortic. ` 
p: or f. 2446 (leaves of the varieties T. ARE Red," ‘‘ Orleans 
" t Vineless,"" ‘ Bunch Yam,’ ' “ Pumpkin Yam," ‘ Yellow 
Yam"); Bull. Econ. Indo-China, 1905, pp. 1184, 1185. 
Vernac. names. See cer (Hausa, ee on, Parsons); 
Odunkun-pupa (Lagos, Oloke-Meji, Dodd ); Odunkun fos = 
Fr [Patato and), Bates (J oloff) Dudgeon] : Odun 
n (Lagos, Dennett); [Atombo oe Santoon (Fanti), Koo 
Koon ‘Doo Koo (Sierra mee asn azee : 
of Shakespeare’ 8 Gn 
Throughout the ipa of the Old and New Worlds, and in 
many sub-tropical countries. 
The leaves cooked with fungi are eaten like spinach, Golungo 
Alto (Hiern, Cat. Welw. Afr. PI. ili, p. 73), and the stems and 
leaves (or vines) are good fodder green or avied for cattle, sheep 
and pigs 
The chief value of the plant lies in the roots or tubers for food, 
used in the same way as the common potato. or feeding to 
animals, owing to the high percentage of starch, they require 
o be mixed with some food of greater nitrogenous value, as peanuts 
(Arachis hypogaea), cowpe cowpeas (Vigna Catjang), cotton-seed meal 
* W ress | (Lepidium mer sativum), Verna cular name * Laussu 
is cultivated i in the neighbourh of Kano, and according to a note on ra 
8 en collected by iv Dahil (No. 333, Herb. Kew), ii is sold in the markets 
