22 The Potato 



nearly 1 inch in diameter. Calyx hairy, \-^ inch long, with teeth 

 as long as or a little longer than the campanulate tube. Berry 

 globose, less than an inch in diameter, smooth. Native of Chile 

 and Ecuador. 



Solanum Maglia, Schlecht. — Stems stout, erect, much branched, 

 1-2 feet long, strongly winged on angles, slightly hairy. Leaves 

 6-9 inches long, larger leaflets 5-7, ovate acute, 2-3 inches long, side 

 ones stalked, unequally cordate at base. Flowers in compound 

 cymes; pedicles downy. Corolla white, subrotate, f to 1 inch in 

 diameter. Style twice as long as the stamens. Fruit not seen. 



Solanum Commersonii, Dunal. — Stems shorter and more slender 

 than in S. tuberosum. Leaves 6-6 inches long, with a naked petiole 

 1-1 J inches long ; 6-9 oblong acute leaflets, the terminal one much 

 the longest; the rachis entirely without any of the small leaflets 

 interspersed among the large ones. Flowers in lax compound cjrmes. 

 Calyx g-j inch long. Corolla pale lilac or white. Anthers orange- 

 yellow. Style distinctly exserted beyond the anthers. South 

 America. 



Solanum cardiophyllum, Lindley. — Of the same general habit as 

 S. tuberosum. No small leaflets interspersed amongst the large 

 ones. Whole plant quite glabrous. FoUage very dark green. 

 Leaflets 5, large, ovate acute. Flowers in compoimd cymes. Calyx 

 glabrous. Style scarcely longer than the stamens. Mountains of 

 Central Mexico at an elevation of 8000-9000 feet. 



Solanum Jam^sii, Torrey. — Minute globose tubers. I^eaves dis- 

 tinctly petiolate, with 5-9 oblong acute leaflets ; no smaller leaflets 

 interspersed amongst the longer ones. Cymes few flowered. Co- 

 rolla white. Fruit globose. Mountains of southwestern United 

 States and Mexico. 



Solanum oxycarpum, Schiede. — Tubers minute. Leaflets 6-9, 

 oblong lanceolate, with no smaller leaflets interspersed amongst the 

 larger ones. Cymes few flowered. Fruit ellipsoidal. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE IRISH POTATO 



The common potato owes its value to the peculiar 

 habit of developing underground slender leafless shoots 

 or branches which differ in character and office from 

 the true roots, and gradually swelling at the free end 



