Marvd of Peru. 335 



Phillips observes, of this marvellous plant of the new 

 World, whose flowers seem too timid to expand their curiously 

 colored corollas even to a meridian sun, has occasioned the 

 French to name it Belle de Nuit. In emblematical language 

 the flower is made the emblem of Timidity. The generic 

 name, Mirabilis, was given to this plant from the wonderful 

 diversity of colors in the flowers. It was originally brought 

 into Spain from Peru, where it was called Hachal, and for 

 some time it retained the name of Hachal Indi. It was named 

 Mirabilis Peruviana by Carolus Clusius, and we may, 

 therefore, naturally conclude that it was first introduced into 

 Europe from the middle to the end of the sixteenth century, 

 that being the period of his botanical labors. From the form 

 of the flowers being somewhat similar to those of the Jasmine, 

 several old writers named it Jasmin um Mexicanium. It was 

 first cultivated in England in the time of Gerard, who tells us 

 in his work of 1597, that he had then planted it many years in 

 his garden, and that in temperate years he had procured ripe 

 seed. He writes at considerable length on the beauty of the 

 flowers, and says it ought to be called Marvel of the World 

 rather than of Peru alone. 



Cartusus, a Professor of Botany at Padua., who died in 1593, 

 was the first one who discovered the cathartic qualities of the root 

 of this plant, and it was shortly afterwards supposed to be the 

 true Gelapor or Jalap of the shops, and the plant was named 

 accordingly. Dr. James observes, in his History of Drugs, 

 1745, that the Jalap was a root unknown to the ancients, and 

 also in Europe till the discovery of America. He adds, that 

 it usually comes from the Spanish West Indies in transverse 

 slices about an inch thick, being rugged, and of a dark brown 

 color on the outside and whitish within, full of black shining 

 resin. This has been believed to be the opinion of most 

 authors, that it is a species of Convolvulus, and often noticed 

 as such in their descriptions ; but if we may rely on the 

 account Father Plumier gives of it, it is a species of Marvel 

 of Peru. This error has been since discovered, and it is now 

 clearly ascertained that the true Jalap is the root of an 

 American species of Convolvulus, distinguished by the name of 



