An Test was Re: SC - Truck Crops

[Decker, Terry D.]

Here are my thoughts on this list.

Bear

> Spinich  ---  Persia (middle ages: espinoche)

Spinacea oleracea probably originates in southwest Asia and is known to have
been brought to Sicily by the Moors around 827. 

>  Kale --- I want to say Portugal  ( a variation on the original spelling 
'cole')

Brassica oleracea var. acephala, also a common term for headless varieties
of cabbage.  The cabbages are believed to be descended from sea kale (Crambe
maritima) which is found along the shores of northern Europe.

>  Cucumbers -  The foothills of the Himalayas  (cultivated in India for
more 
than 300 years, it was introduced to Egypt by the Hebrews)

Cucumis sativa (the sativa suggests the Indian origin may be correct).
IIRC, cucumber seeds have been found in a number of Neolithic sites across
the Middle East, which makes the Hebrews introducing them to Egypt suspect
and your 300 years at least 3000.

>  Bell Peppers --- Capsicum poivrons -- North or South America, I believe

Capsicum annum probably Central American origin, found in the tropic and
temperate zones of the Americas.  Capsicum frutescens contains most of the
hot peppers.  Poivrons is probably the variant.

>  Cabbich  --- Europe

Brassica oleracea.  All cabbages are variants of this species.  Pliny names
several types of head and leaf cabbage known to him, but did not leave a
clear enough description to determine which variants they were.  Kohlrabi is
mentioned in Charlemagne's inventory.  Brussel sprouts are mentioned in the
14th Century.  Broccoli and cauliflower were probably known and eaten by the
Romans.  

>  Turnips (purple) ---  Europe (French Navet)

Brassica rapa, origin unknown but Eurasian in range suggesting that the
plant may have come from the Caucasus and been spread in the Neolithic.  The
rutabaga or Swedish turnip is the related species Brassica napus.  

>  Okra --- Africa or Asia, introduced into the Americas by slaves.

Abelmoschus esculentus of tropical Asian origin.  I haven't found anything
on when it was introduced to Africa, but a good bet would be around 300 BCE
with the Indonesian migration to Madagascar.  Another possibility is via the
Arab slave trade into central Africa.

>  Green Beans ---  France, I believe, for the "string" or "french" bean, 
though Haricot Beans were introduced into France from North America in the 
14th century (presented to Catherine de Medici as a gift from Pope Clement 
the Seventh).  "

Try 16th Century, Catherine's marriage was in 1533.  This tale of
introduction is apochryphal.

Green beans, also called string beans and pole beans, are Phaseolus
vulgaris.  All members of Phaseolus are of New World origin and are not
found in Europe until after 1492.  Haricot is a generic term for several
different of Phaseolus

The term green bean has been used to describe some varieties of fava beans.

>  Butter Beans ---  America

Paseolus limensis or lima bean.  Also a regional (New England) term for a
yellow string bean.

>  Pole Beans  ---  I'm not sure, perhaps these have another name?

Generic name for climbing members of Phaseolus.  Poles are set with each
plant to allow it to climb properly.

>  Field Peas  --- France?

Pisum sativum var. arvense, the common pea originating in Asia and widely
spread during the Neolithic.

>  Butter Peas  ---  ?
>  English Peas --- France

These are common names which I do not have references on.

>  Potatos  --- South America

Solanum tuberosum, the common white potato, found in Peru and Bolivia by the
Conquistadors and first described in Pedro Creca's Chronica del Peru.

>  Sweet Potato --- South America or Africa

Ipomea batatas found in the American tropics and in part of Polynesia
(believed to have been imported by trade with the Americas).  Commonly
called a yam, but it's not.

Yams are of African origin.

>  Collards ---  Africa

See kale, which is also called collard, borecole, cole and colewort.
Derives from the Middle English "col".

>  Tomato  ---  Peru (from the Aztec word Tomatl)

Lycopersicon esculentum, widely spread in the Americas.  Originally found by
the Conquistadors in Mexico.  Tomatl is the common name in the Nahautl
languages of which Aztec is one.

>  Squash --- This depends on which type of squash you are referring to...

Well, maybe, there is some very technical argument about some members of the
genus Cucurbita having come from Asia, but for practical purposes the
Cucurbita are all of New World origin.  There are no Cucurbitas known to be
in Europe before 1492.

>  Water Mellons --- Melons originated in Asia
>  Cantilope --- I assume Asia as well...

Watermelon, Citrullis lanatus var. vulgaris, is of African origin.

Cantaloupe, Cucumis melo var. reticulatus or var. cantalupensis, is of
Asiatic origin.  Other variants of Cucumis melo are Persian, honeydew,
casaba, and muskmelon.  

>  Egg Plant  --- India, cultivated in Italy by the late 15th

Solanum melongena is of southeast Asian origin.  The variant esculenta,
which has the purple fruit is an Indian hybrid.  Eggplant was adopted by the
Arabs after they conquered northern India and was imported into the Moorish
regions of Europe.

>  Zuccini  --  I will guess Italy, for it's historically popular use in the

Mediterranean

Zucchini is a member of the Cucurbita so its historically popular use in the
Mediterranean begins no earlier than 1492.

>  Corn  -- North America (assuming you are thinking of sweet corn, or 
maize...)

Zea mays, widely used in the Americas and imported into Europe after 1492.