The B R I T I S H H E R E A L. 327 
2, Love-Apple. 
Solatium foliis pinmlis fruBu magiio. ^ 
The root is compofed of many thick fibres. 
The ftallt is thick, flelhy, and of a pale green, ] 
but of a weak fiibftancc ; fo that it does not 
ftand perfeftiy upright. ' 
T'he leaves are very large, and of a pale green : | 
they are of the pinnated form ; each compofed ' 
of three or four pairs of pinna;, with an odd feg- 
ment at the end : thefc fcparate parts are deeply 
and rudely indented, and fometimes divided again 
in the pinnated manner. 
The flowers are large and yellow : the fruit is 
very large, of the bignefs of a moderate apple, 
ribbed on the iurface, and of a fine red. It is full 
of a foft pulpy fubftance ; among which lie nu- 
merous feeds. 
It is a native of the warmer parts of Ame- 
rica, but thrives well in our gardens. We raife 
it principally for beauty; but in many other parts 
of Europe they eat the fruit in foops ; and fome- 
times raw, with oil, pepper, and vinegar. 
It is innocent ; but there is little nourirtiment 
in it. 
3. Potatoe. 
Solanum tuberofa radici. 
The root is compofed of numerous, large, ir- 
regular pieces, and of certain ilrings or fibres con- 
nefting them together. 
The ftalk is round, firm, upright, and a yard 
high. 
The leaves are large, long, and pinnated ; each 
is compofed of four or five pairs of irregular pin- 
nre with an odd one at the end ; and they are 
of a dufky green colour. 
The flowers are large, and of a deep purple, 
paler on the outfide, and duflcier within, with 
yellow buttons in the centre: thefe fl;and in cluf- 
ters at the ends of the branches; and have a An- 
gular afpefl, being five-cornered, rather than di- 
vided as the others. 
The fruit is large, round, and, when ripe, 
black. 
If is a native of America, and flowers in Au- 
guif. 
The roots are very quick in multiplying. 
C. Bauhine culls it Solanmn tnhrrofitm cfculen- 
tmn. Others, Battnta. 
This is another inftance, that many plants of 
the folnnum kind are not poifonous, for it is truly 
. and diftinftly one of them. 
4. Mad Apple. 
Solanum pomiferimi fru^u ohlongo. 
The roocis compofed of numerous, long, thick, 
and fpreading fibres. 
The ftalk is round, upright, firm, of a pale 
green, or of a purplifh colour, and covered with 
a light, loofe, woolly matter : it is not much 
branched ; and it is a foot and half high. 
The leaves are very large : they have ihort 
footftalks ; and thofe are often redilh, as are atfo 
the veins : the leaves themfelves are of a deep 
green but they have the fame kind of whitifh, 
woolly matter upon them as the ftalks. 
The flowers ftand fingly, or fometimes two or 
three together, on long footftalks j and they are 
large, and either white, or of a beautiful purple. 
Their cups are covered with iharp, but weak 
prickles, of a purple colour. 
I'he fruit is very large : its Ihape is oval, and 
its bignefs that of a hen's egg, or larger : it is 
greenifh at firft, but white like an egg when ripe j 
or fometimes purpHlh, varying as the fiov/er : it 
is full of a foft, juicy matter within ; and the fkin 
is extremely tender and thin. 
This is another of the innocent plants of the 
nightfljade kind. Its name would make one think 
otherwife ; but that has been given through igno- 
rance. 
Some early blunderers in the fcience fuppofcd 
this to be the male mandrake of Theophraftus, 
and therefore declared it to be poifonous j fetcing 
down the fymptoms of convulfions and deliriums 
as attending the taking it inwardly. The people 
in the Eaft, not fo deeply learned in Greek, eat 
it, and they have fet the example to other nations. 
It is now a common ingredient in foops in many 
places. 
It is a native of Afia, Africa, and South Ame- 
rica. Scarce any warm climate is without it. 
C. Bauhine calls it Solanum pomiferum frtiEfu 
ohlongo. Others, Meolongena, and Melanzatm. 
Our Englifli people, who follow the old bota- 
nifts, Med apples-^ and Raging apples. Others 
the Egg-plant. 
Tournefort has led the way to defcribino- the 
feveral varieties of this plant as diftind fpecies ; 
but they arc no way di&crcnr, except in the co- 
lour of the flower and fruit ; no more than a red 
bean from a white one. 
5. Pear-fruited Nightfhade. 
Solanum fpinoftim Jruofu pyriformi. 
The root is compofed of many thick, lonrr 
and fpreading fibres. 
The ftalks are numerous, weak, branched, 
and two feet and a half high ; they are covered 
with a loofe, whitifh, woolly matter; and are 
bcfec at fmall diftances with fliarp prickles. 
The leaves are large, and covered with the 
fame white downy matter: they, are aifo befec 
with fharp prickles ; they are broad, fliort, 
pointed at the ends, and irregularly indented. 
The flower Is fmall ; but the fruit is very laro-e : 
it is of the bignefs of a pear, and of a gold yel- 
low : its fliape alfo is hke that of a pear ; but it 
grows to the ftalk at the large end. 
It is common in the American iflands, and the 
fruit ripens in Auguft. 
Plukenet calls it Solanum Barbadenfe fpinofum 
annuim frutlu aureo rotundiore pyri parvi inverjt 
forma f£? magnitudine. 
■ 6, Blue-flowered Thorny Nightfhade. 
Solanum fpinofum flore dsriileo. 
This is a very fingular and elegant plant. 
: The root is compofed of numerous, fpreading 
> fibres. 
) The ftalks are round, firm, upright, branclied, 
, and a yard high ; they are of a pale colour, and 
thick let with fliarp, dufky thorns. 
The 
