178 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



matted beds of L. cerasiformc Dun. intermixed with Momordica 

 Charantia L., each, loaded with its brilliant-coloured fruit. 



110. Solanum tuberosum L. Potatoes, called " Batatas " in 

 Lisbon, "Semilhas" in Madeira and the Cape Yerdes, and "Papas" 

 by the Spanish in the Canaries, are very largely cultivated in thcMa- 

 deiran andCanarian islands, but less generally or successfully in the 

 CapeVerdes. IuMadeira, and even still more in the Canaries, from 

 the greater deficiency of other vegetable food, they form a most im- 

 portant portion of the aliment of the mass of the whole pop ulation, 

 whose distress, during the first aggressions of the potato-disease 

 some twenty years ago, almost approached that of the Irish nnder 

 the same infliction. In Madeira the potato thrives equally well 

 at all seasons from the lowest to the highest zone of elevation. 

 In the Canaries and Cape Verdes it is grown chiefly at interme- 

 diate elevations (from 1000 to 3000 feet), and only in the cooler 

 winter months or rainy season. 



111. A remarkably fine snbarboreous smooth or glabrescent and 

 unarmed JSolanam, near S. obovatum H. B., Dun., with fragrant 

 pale pinkish lilac flowers in stalked superaxillary bifid corymbs, 

 large orange-coloured ovate or ovoidal fruit the size of a hen's 

 egg, and naked oblong leaves snbeordate at the base, of the size 

 and shape of those of Brugmansia arhorea (L.), is occasionally 

 cultivated in the Canaries, whence I have introduced it into Ma- 

 deira : but I have not been able to identify the species, which I 

 therefore call provisionally S. insigne. The very large and hand- 

 some fruit is used in cookery like Tomatos (Lycopersicum cerasi- 

 forme and L. esculentuni) . 



112. S. Melongena L., the Egg-plant (" Beringela, Port."), 

 is also seen in gardens here and there both in Madeira and the 

 Canaries, but it is scarcely ever used as a vegetable. 



113. Capsicum erutescens L. and two other small-fruited 

 sorts, viz. 



114. C. baccatum L. and 



115. C. conoides Mill., are everywhere cultivated in all the 

 islands, — the two latter, called in Madeira Bird-peppers, chiefly 

 in the Cape Verdes. 



116. Nicotian a Tabacum L. The Tobacco-plant springs up 

 everywhere in waste places about houses or in gardens, but is 

 not cultivated or turned to any profitable account in any of these 

 islands. 



Biononiace^. 



117. Crescentia cucurbitista L. Two or three plants of this 



