394 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
be noticed that in Gerarde's hand is a spray of the Potato 
plant with flowers and berries. From this it is evident that he 
regarded the Potato plant as one of the most important and 
valuable of those described in the " Herbal." 
Illustrations Nos. 2 and 3 are photographs taken from 
Gerarde's engraving of the Potato plant on page 927 of his 
work, and no doubt these illustrations represent the Potato as 
grown in his garden. After a lapse of three hundred years his 
somewhat quaint description of the plant and its uses may not 
be without interest. It is as follows : — ■ 
' ' Virginian Potato hath many hollow flexible branches 
trailing upon the ground, three-square, uneven, knotted or 
kneed in sundry places at certaine distances, from the which 
knots Cometh forth one great leafe made of divers leaves, 
some smaller and others greater, set together upon a fat 
middle rib by couples, of a swart greene colour tending to 
rednesse, the whole leafe resembling those of the Winter- 
Cresses, but much larger, in taste at the first like grasse, 
but afterwards sharp and nipping the tongue, from the 
bosome of which leaves come forth long round slender foot- 
stalkes, whereon grow very faire and pleasant floures, made 
of one entire wliole leafe, which is folded or plaited in such 
strange sort that it seemes to be a floure made of five sundry 
small leaves, which cannot easily be perceived except the 
same be pulled open. The whole floure is of a light purple 
colour striped downe the middle of every fold or welt with 
a light show of yellownesse, as if purple and yellow were 
mixed together. In the middle of the floure thrusteth forth 
a thicke flat pointall yellow as gold ; with a small sharp 
green pricke or point in the midst thereof. The fruit 
succeeds the floures, round as a ball, of the bignesse of a 
Httle bullesse or wilde plumme, green at the first and blacke 
when it is ripe, wherein is contained small white seed lesser 
than those of mustard : the root is thicke, fat and tuberous, 
not much differing either in shape, colour, or taste, from 
the common Potatoes,* saving that the roots liereof are not 
so great nor long, somc^ of them arc as round as a ball, 
some oval or egge-fashion, some longer, and others shorter, 
* The silhision is to the sweet Potato, Convolviihis Hatdtas {Jj)oiiicea 
JJalata.s, Kew Index), tlien known as the counuon I'otato. 
