NOTE  UPON  THE  EECULA  OF  ALSTROEMERIA. 
291 
and  known  as  the  A.  peregrina,  an  orthography  preferable  to 
pelegrina. 
The  tubercles  of  the  roots,  as  those  of  the  A,  ligtu,  contain 
a  nutritious  fecula,  to  which  has  been  given  the  name  Ghuno. 
A.  ligtu,  Lam.  Roem.  Kunth.  A.  ligta,  Ruiz  &  Pavon.  Hce- 
merocalis  ligtu,  Feuille.   A.  Feuillxana,  Mey,  in  Reliq.  Hoenk. 
Sp.  Des. — Stem  glabrous,  erect ;  leaves  linear  lanceolate, 
striate,  spirally  twisted ;  flowers  reddish  purple,  umbellate, 
petals  subconformable. 
This  plant  is  entirely  glabrous,  green  or  a  little  glaucous,  the 
root  fasciculated,  filiform,  with  oblong  cylindrical  tubercles,  soft 
and  sweetish.  The  stem  is  erect,  simple,  cylindrical,  a  foot  in 
height  and  perhaps  more,  green  superiorly,  white  below,  diminish- 
ing in  thickness  and  losing  the  leaves — these  are  sessile,  linear 
lanceolate,  subacute,  arranged  spirally,  channelled,  of  two  inches 
more  or  less  in  length  and  three  lines  in  breadth,  of  a  bright 
green,  the  inferior  shorter  than  those  of  the  middle,  those  at 
base  scarious.  Umbel  of  from  two  to  ten  rays,  which  are  one 
or  rarely  two-flowered,  accompanied  by  an  involucrum,  with  the 
divisions  corresponding  to  the  leaves,  but  narrower,  shorter  than 
the  peduncle.  Flowers  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length,  of  a 
rose  purple,  with  the  divisions  cuneiform,  lanceolate,  acuminate, 
the  four  interior  narrower,  the  two  superior  marble-veined,  or 
spotted.  Capsule  hexagonal,  pale,  the  size  of  a  small  filbert. 
Seeds  globose,  yellowish. 
This  appears  to  be  the  plant  which  gives  the  true  Chuno,  the 
fecula  which  resides  in  the  tubercles  of  the  root.  In  Chili  this 
fecula  is  used  as  a  diet  for  the  sick  and  those  with  weak  stomachs. 
It  is  produced  principally  in  the  provinces  of  Cauguenos  and 
Conception. — Historia  Fisica  y  Politico,  de  Chili,  &c,  by  Claudio 
Gay,  vol.  vi.  p.  84. 
We  are  informed  by  Molina  that  the  bulbs  of  the  A.  ligtu 
are  eaten,  and  that  bread  is  made  from  them ;  this  is  known  as 
the  Lily  of  the  Incas.  This  second  species  is  the  one  which  has 
been  submitted  to  us  by  Dr.  Ruschenberger. 
Ruiz  and  Pavon  have  specified  the  A.  tomentosa,  as  affording 
bulbs  eaten  in  Peru.  From  Tussac,  Flore  des  Antilles,  we  learn 
that  the  A.  edulis  is  used  by  the  negroes,  and  the  bulbs  sold  under 
the  name  of  Topinambours  blancs.    They  are  eaten  boiled,  with 
