144 The American Naturalist. [February, 
the gardens of the monasteries, It was called patentia by Park- 
inson in 1640, and is noted by Turner” in 1538, as having in 
England the common name of Patience. It is noted as cultivated 
and its use as a vegetable in nearly all the early botanies, and is 
recorded in American gardens in 1806." There are no varieties 
described. 
Patience Dock or Herb Patience is called in France, osedle 
spinard, patience, parelle, epinard immortel, choux de Paris, doche, 
dogue ; in Germany, Englischer spinat, winter-spinat ; in Flanders, 
blijvende spinazie ; in Denmark, engelsk spinat; in Italy, dapazio, 
rombice ; in Spain, romaza, acedera espinaca, espianaca perpetua ; 
in Portugal, /abaca ;° in Norway, have-syre; ; in the Mauritius, 
patience 
PEA. Pisum sativum D.C. 
The history of the garden pea is difficult to trace, as its sepa- 
ration from the field pea cannot be expected to have been noted 
in early and popular reference. The use of the seed as an escu- 
lent, however, dates from a very remote antiquity, as pease have 
been excavated from the ruins of ancient Troy,” and have been 
recovered from tombs at Thebes. Its culture among the 
Romans is evident from the mentions by Columella, Pliny and 
Palladius.” There is every reason to believe from the paucity of 
description that peas were not then in their present esteem as a 
vegetable, and were considered inferior.to other plants of the 
leguminous order. The first distinct mention of the garden pea 
that I find is by Ruellius™ in 1536, who says there are two kinds 
of peas, one the field pea and trailing ; the other a climbing pea, 
whose fresh pods with their peas were eaten. Green peas, how- 
10 Turner. aggro I 538. 
11 McMahon. rican Gar. Cal., 1806, 550. 
12 Vilmorin. fee “PL. Pot Pot., 395. 
18 Schubeler. Culturpflanz, 81. 
14 Bojer. Hort. Maur., 1897, 72. 
15 Decandolle. Orig. Des. Pl. Cult., 272.; Am. Antiquarian, Oct. 1880, 66. 
16 Wilkinson. Ancient Egyptians 
17 Srey ? II., c. 10; Lib. XL, c. 1.; Pliny, Lib. XVIII., c. 32; Palladius: 
Lib. X., 
18 Ruellius. rd Nat. Stirp., 1536, 439. 


