36 The American Naturalist. [January, 
kinde of roote, which they call Papas ; these rootes are like to 
grownd nuttes, they are small rootes, which cast out many 
leaves. They gather this Papas, and dry it well in the Sunne, 
then beating it they make that which they call Chuno, which 
keepes many daies, and serves for bread. In this realme there is 
great trafficke of Chuno, the which they carry to the mines of 
Potozi; they likewise eat of these Papas boyled or roasted. 
There is one sweete of these kindes, which grows in hot places, 
whereof they do make certaine sawces and minced meats, which 
they call Locro.” 
As the olluco is said by Heuze to be only eaten raw, outside 
of Mexico, we may believe that Acosta refers in this extract to 
this plant, the potato and the sweet potato. 
ONION. Allium cepa L. 
The culture of the onion was known at a remote period, and 
in the ancient Egyptian paintings a priest is frequently seen holding 
them in his hand, or covering an altar with a bundle of thin leaves 
and roots. Hippocrates? mentions that they are commonly 
eaten 430 B.C. Theophrastus, 322 B.C., names a number of 
varieties, the Sardian, the Cnidian, Thamocracian, and the Setani- 
con, all named from the places of growth. Those of Issus and 
Sardis are white. Dioscorides,“ 60 A.D., speaks of the onion as 
long or round; yellow or white. Columella,” 42 A.D., speaks of 
the Marsicam, which the country people call unionem, and this 
word seems to be the origin of our word onion, the French ognon. 
Pliny, A.D. 79, devotes considerable space to the cepa, and says 
the round onion is the best, and that the red are more highly 
flavored than the white. Palladius,” 210 A.D., gives minute 
directions for culture. Apicius, A.D. 230, gives a number of 
recipes for the use of the onion in cookery, but its uses by this 
epicurean writer are rather as a seasoner than as an edible. In 
61 Wilkinson. Ancient pe dotrmamt 1.,168. % Columella. Lib. XII., ¢. 10. 
"a pe asta = Opera, Camerarius ed., Pliny. Lib. XIX., c. > 
Paris, 1646, KiS 8 Palladius. Lib. IIL., c. 24. 
63 Theophrastus. Bodseus ed. mp PE 785. 6 Apicius. De Opsoniis, etc. Amster- 
#4 Dioscorides. Ruel ed., 1529, I dam, 1709. 
