1885.] Kitchen Garden Esculents of American Origin. 445 
described by Parkinson’ under the name of Hadicacabum f. alk. 
virginiense, and by Feuille? under the name of Alkekengi virgini- 
anum fructu luteo these names indicating its American origin. 
P. peruviana Hort., the alkekengi of Peru or Capuli, is cultivated 
in French gardens, but it differs but slightly from P. pubescens 
Pickering’ says it is a native of tropical America, and has a Carib 
name, sovsovrov-scoroo (Desc.), and is called in Tagalo potocan 
(Blanco). Mueller® says P. peruviana L.,.is a native of temperate 
and tropical America, and is now naturalized widely in many coun- 
tries of the warmer zone, a perennial, but in colder climates an an- 
nual. P, barbadensis Jacq., is another species sometimes cultivated 
in France’ and a native of Barbadoes.’ P. mexicana Vil., probably 
synonymous with P. edulis Sims., is grown in France, and the 
seed sold under the name of petite tomate du Mexique, accord- 
ing to Vilmorin (l. c.), but as grown at the New York Agricultu- 
ral Experiment eae it appears to answer to the description of 
P. angulata L. (var. ? philadelphica Gray ?), but the fruit larger 
than in the description. If this supposition be correct it was 
mentioned by Camerarius in 1588, Parkinson 1640, etc. Sloane 
mentions its occurrence in Jamaica.” Pickering” says it is a native 
of tropical America, but it seems to have a Malabar name, znota 
inodien (Rheede), Burmese pungben (Mason), Ylocano tuttullacac 
(Blanco), on Tahiti zamani (Bertero), on the Hawaiian islands 
kamani. Mueller™ says it occurs in many tropical countries, ex- 
tending as a native plant to the northern part of the United States 
and to Japan. 
The old world alkekengi is P. alkekengi L., ‘well known to the 
ancients, and described by Dioscorides. It does not now seem 
to be cultivated as a kitchen garden plant, having been super- 
ceded by the American species. 
The fruit of the strawberry tomato is much esteemed by some 
1Theatrum Botanicum, 1640, 462. 
2 Obs. faites sur les cotes orientales de Amerique meridionale, Paris, 1714-25. 
3 Miller’s Dict. 
*Vilmorin. Les Pl. Pot., p. 4. 
5 Chron, Hist. of Pi, 755. 
€ Select rhage p. 165. 
Lunan. Hort. Jam., 1, 303. 
10}, c., 429. 
aLe 6 
