
1890.] History of Garden Vegetables. 33 
NIGHTSHADE. Solanum nigrum L. 
This plant, says Vilmorin, is not as yet used in France as a 
vegetable, but in warm countries the leaves are sometimes eaten 
as spinage.” It is mentioned by Galen” among aliments in the 
second century, but was not cultivated in Germany in Fuchsius,” 
time, 1542, although it retained its name, Solanum hortense, per- 
haps from its former cultivation. It is a plant of a wide distribu- 
tion, occurring in the northern hemisphere from Sweden, and the 
north-east of America from Hudson Bay, even to the equatorial 
regions, as for example at Timor, the Galapagos, the Antilles, 
Abyssinia, the Mascarene Isles, Mauritius, Van Diemen’s Land, 
Chili, etc. It is found as a pot herb in the markets of Mauri- 
tus,” and is used as a spinage in Central Africa.” In China the 
young shoots are eaten, as also its black berries,” and in the Mis- 
sissippi Valley the little black berries are made into pies and 
other pastry.” 
The Nightshade or black nightshade is called in France, morelle 
noire, M. de Vile de France, M. commune, brede, creve-chien, herbe 
aux magiciens, morette, raisin de loup; in Germany, verbesseter 
nachschatten spinat; in Italy, erba mora; in Spain, yerba 
mora” : 
OKRA. Hibiscus esculentus L. 
The Spanish Moors appear to have been well acquainted with 
this plant, which was known to them by the name of damiyah. 
Abul-Abbas el-Nebati, a native of Seville, learned in plants, who 
visited Egypt A. D. 1216, describes in unmistakable terms the 
form of the plant, its seeds and fruit, which last, he remarks, is 
eaten when young and tender with meal by the Egyptians. ” The 
references to this plant in the earlier botanies are not numerous, 
ahd the synonymies offered are often incorrect. I think the fol- 
lowing, however, are justified : 

25 Vilmorin. The Veg. aR 355- 30 Grant. Speke’s Nile, 576. 
26 Galen. De Alim., Lib.2, Bruns. edition, 1547. 153. %1 Smith. Mat. Med. of Gh., 201. 
21 Fuchsius. De Stirp., 1542, 69. 82 Bessey. Bot., 502. 
28 Decandolle. Geog. Bot., 573- 33 Vilmorin. Les Pl. Pot., 354. 
29 Seemann. Gard. Chron., 1861, 622. 3 Pharmacographia, 1879, 94- 
Am. Nat.—January.—3 
