THE OEIGIX OP OUS KITCHEH GARDEH PLAXTS. 
195 
Pear, Fyriis comvmnis, L. 
Apple, Pyrus malus, L. 
Quince, Cydonia vulgaris, L. 
Pomegranate, Punica granatum, L, 
Jambosa Malaccensis. 
Bottle Goiu’cl, Lagenaria vulgaris, L. 
Egg-shaped Gourd, Cucurbit a ovi- 
fera, L. 
Melon, Cucurnis raelo, L. 
Bed Currant, Pihes rubrum, L. 
Olive, Olea Europea, L. 
Eacuma mammosa, Goertner. 
Papaw Tree, Papaya vulgaris, D.C. 
Date Palm, Plicenix dactylifera, L. 
Banana, Musa so.pientum, Br. 
Pine Apple, Bromelia ananas, L, 
Wlieat, Triticum vulgar e, L. 
Spelt, Triticum 8p)elta, L. 
Barley, Hordeum distichon, L. 
Pice, Oryza sativa, L. 
Tartarian, Polygonum tartaricum. 
lYhite Lupine, Lupinus albus, L. 
Egyptian Lupine, Lupinus Thermis, 
^L. 
Great Blue Lupine, Lupinus liir- 
sutus, L. 
Field Pea, Pisum arvense, L. 
Coimnon Pea, Pisum sativum, L. 
Vetchling, Lathy rus sativus, L. 
Flat-podded Yetcliling, Lathy rus 
Cicera, L. 
Common Vetch, Vida sativa, L. 
Gold of Pleasure, Camelina sativa, L. 
Walnut, Juglans regia., L. 
Chocolate, Theobronuo cacao, L. 
Cocoa-nut, Cocos uucifera, L. 
Coffee, Coffea arabica, L. 
Cotton, Gossypium pmnctatum. 
Having made these introductory remarks^ we now confine 
ourselves to an inquiry into the origin of the kitchen garden 
plants of the United Kingdom. We select for this purpose 
such vegetables as are in ordinary use during winter ; in fact^ 
our common Christmas vegetables will furnish an abundance of 
interesting material for discussion. 
Our kitchen garden plants may be subdivided into — 1. 
Those plants which are cultivated for the nutritive material in 
their rhizome^, as the potato^ parsnip_, carroty turnip_, and 
horseradish. 2. Those plants which are cultivated for their 
sterns^ leaves_, and flowers^ as celery and the different varieties 
of the garden cabbage. We begin with that well-known 
vegetable^ 
The Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). — This plant belongs to - 
the natural order Solanacege_, and is closely related to the 
tobacco plant, belladonna, henbane, nightshade, amd other 
poisonous narcotics. But although the same poisonous prin- 
ciples exists in the potato plant, it is confined to its stem, 
foliage, and fruit, and is wholly absent from its roots or under- 
ground tubers, the parts of the plant used as food. When 
potatoes still attached to the growing plant become exposed to 
the light, the epidermis assumes a greenish colour, and the 
poisonous principle then develops itself. Such potatoes are 
totally unfit for human food. The potato plant has a stem 
from one and a half to two feet high, with interrupted pinnate 
leaves, which are composed of from five to seven pairs of 
lanceolate oval leaflets, having lesser ones between them ; the 
flowers are bluish- white, with orange -yellow, slightly cohering 
0 2 
