Hantsi Shanghai Amaranthus.
Amarante Hantsi Shanghai. Vil.
Introduced from China by Mr. Fortune, and disseminated by the London Horticultural Society. It differs little from the preceding species; and is cultivated in the same manner, and used for the same purposes. Annual.
BLACK NIGHTSHADE.
Morelle, of the French. Solanum nigrum.
An unattractive, annual plant, growing spontaneously as a weed among rubbish, in rich, waste places. Its stem is from two to three feet high, hairy and branching; the leaves are oval, angular, sinuate, and bluntly toothed; the flowers are white, in drooping clusters, and are succeeded by black, spherical berries, of the size of a small pea; the seeds are small, lens-shaped, pale yellow, and retain their vitality five years,—twenty-three thousand are contained in an ounce.
Propagation and Culture.—It is raised from seed, which may be sown in April or May, or in autumn. Sow in shallow drills fifteen or eighteen inches apart, and thin to six or eight inches in the drills; afterwards keep the soil loose, and free from weeds, in the usual manner.
Use.—The French, according to Vilmorin, eat the leaves in the manner of Spinach; while Dr. Bigelow asserts that it has the aspect and reputation of a poisonous plant.
On the authority of American botanists, it was introduced into this country from Europe. By European botanists, it is described as a plant of American origin.