PLANTS CULTIVATED FOB THEIE SUBTERRANEAN PARTS, 45 



south of France, and Germany, to the region of Cau- 

 casus, and perhaps even as far as Siberia, but it is wanting 

 in Sicily and Greece.^ In several parts of Germany the 

 species is probably naturalized from cultivation. 



It seems that this plant has only been cultivated 

 within the last hundred or hundred and fifty years. 

 The botanists of the sixteenth century speak of it as 

 a wild species introduced occasionally into botanical 

 gardens. Olivier de Serres does not mention it. 



It was formerly supposed to be an antidote against 

 the bite of adders, and was sometimes called the viper's 

 plant. As to the etymology of the name Seorzonera, it is 

 so evident, that it is difficult to understand how early 

 writers, even Toumefort,^ have declared the origin of the 

 word to be escorso, viper in Spanish or Catalan. Viper 

 is in Spanish more commonly vibora. 



There exists in Sicily a Seorzonera deliciosa, Gussone, 

 whose very sugary root is used in the confection of 

 bonbons and sherbets, at Palermo.* How is it that its 

 cultivation has not been tried ? It is true that I tasted 

 at Naples ScorzoTiera ices, and foiuid them detestable, but 

 they were perhaps made of the common species (Scorzo- 

 Tiera hispaniea). 



Potato — Solanum tuberostvm, Linnaeus. 



In 1855 I stated and discussed what was then known 

 about the origin of the potato, and about its introduction 

 into Europe.* I wiU now add the result of the researches 

 of the last quarter of a century. It will be seen that the 

 data formerly acquired have become more certain, and that 

 several somewhat doubtful accessory questions have 

 remained uncertain, though the probabilities in favour 

 of what formerly seemed the truth have grown stronger. 

 It is proved beyond a doubt that at the time of the 

 discovery of America the cultivation of the potato was 



' Willkomm and Lange, Prodromus Moroe Hispamcw, ii. p. 223; 

 De Candolle, More Frangaise, iv. p. 59 ; Koch, Synopsis Fl. Germ., edit. 

 2, p. 488; Ledebom-, Fl. Boss., ii. p. 794; Boissier, Fl. OrientaUs, iii. p. 

 767 ; Bertoloui, Fl.,Ital., viii. p. 365. 



' Toumefort, BUments de Botanique, p. 379. 



• Gnssone, Synopsis Florae Siculce. 



* A. de Candolle, G4ogr. Bot. Raisomnie, pp. 810, 816. 



