64 



MEMORANDA CONCERNING THE MELLOCA. 



potato, either boiled or roasted, and are universally relished by 

 all classes. 



As to the other plant, spoken of by D'Orbigny as the Papa 

 lisa, Dr. Jamieson suspected it to be the Melloca, a tuber that 

 yields a very large proportion of fecula, and is consequently 

 considered highly nutritious. It is cultivated like the Oca, 

 and is largely consumed as an article of food by the Indian 

 population. 



The Editor added to this memorandum a figure of the Mel- 

 loca and some botanical observations, proposing to call it 

 Melloca tuberosa, and identifying it with the Basella tuberosa of 

 Humboldt. It has since been suggested that the Ullucus tuber- 

 osus of Lozano is the same plant, erroneously described by the 

 Spanish writer. 



In the end of the year 1848 it was stated in the same period- 

 ical that the Melloca had been introduced to Europe by the 

 French, and that it had been successfully cultivated by M. de 

 Jonghe, a Belgian gentleman, whose account of it was to the 

 following effect : — A rooted cutting was sent to him the 14th of 

 April, by M. L. Vilmorin. It was nursed for eight days in a 

 frame, and on the 3rd of May planted in a border of light, rich 

 soil. It emitted a great number of branches, which were succes- 

 sively covered with soil, the extremities only being left exposed. 

 This operation was frequently repeated up to the 20th of July. 

 Having then remarked an appearance of flowers in the axils of 

 the leaves, the earthing-up was discontinued. The flower-buds 

 did not, however, expand, owing probably to the coldness of the 

 season. On the 10th of September he discovered, below each of 

 the branches, and attached to the roots, 6 or 8 tubers. The 

 other part of this plant remained in the ground, and was perfectly 

 green at the date of the communication. A single plant, struck 

 from a cutting in spring, and occupying only a surface of 

 2 feet square, furnished 56 strong tubers, and 62 of smaller 

 dimensions. M. de Jonghe thought that if a frame were placed 

 over the plant, it would probably continue to vegetate and form 

 a succession of young tubers throughout the winter ; for, in the 

 Cordilleras, it is said to be a perennial evergreen. Some trials 

 with it as an esculent plant were unsatisfactory, but branches 

 given to a stall-fed cow were eagerly swallowed, and formed 

 excellent food for such animals. 



The publication of M. de Jonghe's letter was followed by a 

 memorandum from M. Louis Vilmorin, of Paris, from which the 

 following are extracts : — 



" The plant was introduced into France last January by M. 

 C. Ledos, of Lima, who sent some tubers to the Minister of 

 Agriculture and Commerce. This gentleman's information was 



