66 ORIGIN OF CULTIVATED PLANTS. 



of its species,^ perhaps it might be found that certain 

 wild European forms, included by authors under ^. 

 arenari/um, L., A. arenarium, Sm., or^. scorodopraswm, 

 L., are only varieties of A. sativum. In that case every- 

 thing would agree to show that the earliest peoples of 

 Europe and Western Asia cultivated such form of the 

 species just as they found it from Tartary to Spain, 

 giving it names more or less different. 



Onion — Allium, Cepa, Linnaeus. 



I wiU state first what was known in 1855 ;^ I will 

 then add the recent botanical observations which confirm 

 the inferences from philological data. 



The onion is one of the earliest of cultivated species. 

 Its original- country is, according to Kunth, unknown.' 

 Let us see if it is possible to discover it. The modem 

 Greeks call Allium Cepa, which they cultivate in 

 abundance, krommiunda.^ This is a good reason for be- 

 lieving that the krovnmuon of Theophrastus ^ is the same 

 species, as sixteenth-century writers already supposed.* 

 Pliny'' translated the word by cmpa. The ancient Greeks 

 and Romans knew several varieties, which they distin 

 guished by the names of countries : Gyprium, Cretense, 

 Samothradae, etc. One variety cultivated in Egjfpt * was 

 held to be so excellent that it received divine honours, 

 to the great amusement of the Romans.' Modem 

 Egyptians designate A. Cepa by the name of hasal^'^ or 

 buasul,^^ whence it is probable that the bezalim of the 

 Hebrews is the same species, as commentators have said.''^ 

 There are several distinct names — palandu, latarka, sa- 

 Itandaka^ and a number of modem Indian names. The 

 species is commonly cultivated in India, Oochin-China, 



J Annales des 8c. Nat, 3rd series, vol. viii. 



' A. de CandoUe, Oiogr. Bot. Eaisownie, ii. p. 828. 



• Knnth, En/imier., iv. p. 394. 



' Fraas, Syn. Fl. Class., p. 291. 



• Theophrastna, Hist., 1. 7, o. 4. 



• J. Banhin, Hist, ii. p. 548. ' Pliny, Hist, 1. 19, o. R ' Ibid- 

 ' Javenalia, Sat 15. " Forskal, p. 65. 



" Ainslie's Mat Med. Ind., i. p. 269. 



"^ Hiller, Hieroph., ii. p. 36 ; Boaenmiiller, Handilc. Bibl. Alterh., iv. 

 p. 96. 



" Piddington, Indeno; Ainslie'a Mat Med. Tnd. 



