INTO THE FLORA OF CHINA. 
117 
by Eckeberg and sown in Sweden, where they produced a good crop. I 
am not prepared to say what Chinese name is intended by sui fa 
tnn. Evidently it has been incorrectly rendered. 
It seems to be the same plant, which Osbeck II. p. 29 mentions. 21. 
Dec. 1752. The high fields about Bocca Tigris (mouth of the Canton river) 
were green with a plant out of whose seeds the Chinese press the oil, which 
they call loam, and which is most probably Sesam. 
Fortune (Wander. 55.) states, that the Cabbage oil plant of the Chinese 
in Chusan, Chekiang, Kiangsu is Brassica chinensis. L. 
Commonly the seeds of Cotton, which they call min foo 
succeed to those oily seeds. They are sown in April. Flowers 
appear in July, pods in August. 
The Cotton plant, min fa, in Canton. 
Potatoes, which they call fow cee make the third and last 
crop, which they plant after the gotten crop being over. These 
potatoes are different from ours. The roots have red peels, are 
longer, yellow, sweet, but the leaves are like those of 
European potatoes. 
E. means evidently Batatas edulis. Chois (s.above Lin. Chin. pi. 152.) 
sin: fan shii, but he is mistaken with respect to the leaves. 
Sometimes the place of Cotton is supplied with lentils, beans 
Locktaws and Calvanses. 
LuTctau is Phaseolus fadiatus L. (Lin. Chin. pi. 74.) Calvanses =Dolichos 
sinensis. L. 
Yams, which they call on taw are planted like potatoes but 
set in swampy wet places. 
Colocasia (Lin. Chin. pi. 254.) 
After this some particulars with respect to the cultivation 
of the Sugar cane by the Chinese are given. 
In the kitchen gardens they cultivate Salads, long and short 
Cucumbers, Peeks, white Onions, Spinage, Celery, Carrots, Orach, 
a species of watery Turnips, long Radishes, Gourds, and Water 
melons. Of these they have procured the seeds from the 
Portuguese. Purslane grows wild. They keep a coarse sort 
of Water Spinage in ponds about \ fathom deep, in which it 
grows so plentifully, that it quite covers the surface of the 
water. This is one of the most usual pot herbs. 
This Water spinage seems to be Ipomoea reptans . Poir. See above Lin. 
Chin. pi. 153. 
After this E. speaks of the cultivation of Ginger and of 
Tobacco, yeen of the Chinese. 
They cultivate a plant, which they call fock yong, not unlike 
Mint, but with paler leaves. They value this plant very 
highly and sell the pekul of it for 50 tael. It is said to be of 
great service in consumption. 
