By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 



3:>;i 



common origin. I have been induced to form this opinion 

 not only from the circumstance that no wild habitat is 

 assigned to them, but from observing that in the Flora Peru- 

 viana* of Ruiz and Pavon, the Solanum Lycopersicum of 

 Linn^us (Lycopersicum esculentum) is mentioned as only 

 cultivated in the gardens of Peru, whilst the small round red- 

 fruited plant (the Cherry Love Apple of ancient and modern 

 authors) is said to grow abundantly in wild rough places, 

 near the sea coast (in ruderatis maritimis) in Peru. This last 

 plant, called by the natives Tomate redondo, I think will 

 ultimately be found to be the type from whence all the other 

 garden kinds, however different in shape or colour, have 

 originally sprung. The large distorted fruit of the common 

 Love Apple, which M. DuNALf describes as being produced 

 by the coalition of several flowers together, evinces an acci- 

 dental origin which cultivation has preserved; and the 

 strong disposition which the fruit of all the others, except the 

 Red Cherry Love Apple, shews to sport and run from their 

 true figure, furnishes an additional argument against their 

 being considered as separate species. 



I suppose that the Cherry Love Apple was introduced 

 from its native country into Europe nearly about the same 

 time as the larger kind. Caspar Bauhin, in his Pinax,% 

 published in 1623, has among his Solana baccifera the So- 

 lanum racemosum cerasorum forma. Subsequently it seems to 

 have attracted the notice of botanists§ and gardeners more 

 than the other varieties, except perhaps the large Red and large 

 Yellow Love Apples ; besides these two, it is the only one 



* Vol. ii. page 37- t Dumu > Solajl - P 3 ^ 115 - 



+ See C. Bauhin. Pin. page 166 and 167. § See J. Bauhin. Hist. Vol. iii. p. 623. 



