iS o History of Garden Vegetables. 323 
In the Mauritius, gandolle blanc ;* in the Indian languages, 
Bengali, sufed-pooin; in Telinga, aMu-datsalla; in Hindustani, 
pa ;* in Burmah, gyen daing,? etc. 
Basella cordifolia Lam. (B. lucida Lam.) 
This species is cultivated in all parts of India,3 and is the 
Calalue of Barbadoes. It was imported from China to France 
in 1839,5 and is now known under the name of Baselle de Chine 
a tres larges feuilles. Its greater expanse of leaves makes it more 
desirable as a spinage plant than the other species. 
he vernacular names in India are: Bengali, pooinshak ; Te- 
linga, pedda-batsella ; Hindustani, pooz.' 
Basella nigra Lam. 
This species is found in Cochin China and China, both wild and 
uncultivated,” and Livingston? says the leaves are much es- 
teemed when boiled. It is very likely but.a variety of the other 
species, 
Basella rubra L. 
This Indian species is cultivated as a spinage plant in- many 
places. In 1638,according to the “ Hortus Malabaricus,” seed was 
sent from Ceylon to the botanic garden at Amsterdam, and Ray, 
in 1704, describes it as cultivated in gardens. No mention of it 
in kitchen gardens, however, occurs before the present century. 
It is mentioned in French works on gardening in 1824, 1826, and 
1829," and in the Mauritius in 1827." Bretschneider * has found 
mention of it as a cultivated vegetable in Chinese authors of the 
sixteenth century, 1640, and 1742. Kaempfer describes it as 
a Japanese plant, and Rumphius as of Amboina. 
The European names are: Red Malabar Nightshade in Eng- 
sony, EG ies 
2 Pickering, Ch. Hist. of Pl., 696. Other names will be found in Birdwood, Veg. 
Prod. of Bomb., 177- 
3 Firminger, Gard. in Ind.; Drury, 1. c. 4 Maycock, Fl. Barb., 131. 
s Vilm., I. c é Drury, 1. 
7 Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch., 183. 8 Livingston, Hort. Trans., v. 54. 
9 Mill. Dict., 1807. 1 Ray, Hist. Suppl., 1704, iii. 358. 
u L’ Hort. Franc., 1824; Petit, 1826; Noisette, 1829. 
x2 Bojer, l. c. 33 Bretschneider, Bot. Sin., 59, 83, 85. 
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