\ 



Wccts •, but as they afe annual, tliey mly with little 



. trouble be deftroyed, if they do not ftand to produce 



the cuter is 



feed. 



L T FI M A \^A}.^xU, fo called from ix 



heal], Marlhnrallow. 



The Characters arc, 

 "The flo^'cr h:ith ti double empnkmc'nt '-^ 

 of one leaf, and is wtequally divided into nine narro'ujfcg- 

 'ments at the brim ■, the inner one is alfo of one leaf, cut 

 into five broad acute fegments at the top ; thefe are both 

 permanent. The flower hath five petals which coalefce 

 at their bafe, but fpread^ open above and are fhaped like 

 a heart. There are many flamina joined below, and form 

 a kind of cylinder, 'but are loofe above, and inferted 

 in the column. In the center is placed the orbicular ger- 



fjjort cylindrical fiyle, crowned with nu- 





fnina. 



fligina, which are of 

 The cmpalement afi 



depreffed capfule, divided into feveral cells, each contain- 

 ing one comprejfed kidney-Jhaped feed. -^ 

 : This genus of plants is ranged by Dr- Linnseus in 

 the third leftion of his fixteenth clafs, which is titled 

 Monodelphia Polyandria, the ftamina being joined 

 together to form a fort of column. ■ . 



The Species are, ^ . ' \ 



t. Alth^^a foliis fimpliclbus acuminatis acute den- 

 tatis tomentofis. Marfhmallow withftngle woolly leaves, 

 which are indented in fharp fegments. ■ Alth^a Diofco- 

 . ridis & Plinii. C. B. P. ^15. Common Marjfmallow. 

 2. Alth/ea {Officinalis) foliis fimplicibus angulato-ro- 

 tundioribus tomentofis. Marfhmallow with angular, 

 woolly, round'pointed leaves. Alth^a folio rotundiori 

 aut minus acvTminato. Sutherl. Edinb. 

 Althaea (Hirfuta) foHis trifidis pilofo-hifpidis fupra 

 glabris. Hort. Cliff. 349. Marfhmallow with trifjd, 

 hairy, pungent leaves. Alcea villofa. Dalechamp. Hift. 



594 



3 



Marfhmallow 



4. Alth M A (Cannabina) foliis ihferioribus palmatisRi- 

 perioribus digitatis. Hort. Cliff. 205. 

 with the under leaves fhaped like a hand, and the upper 

 leaves more divided. Alcea fruticofo cannabino folio. 

 Cluf. Hift. p. 2. pag. 25. 



The firft fort is the common Marfhmallow, which 

 grows naturally in moift places in divers parts of Eng- 

 land, and is frequently ufed in medicine. It hath a 

 perennial root and an annual ftalk. The plant grows 



• ereft, to the height of four or five feet, and puts out 

 a few lateral branches on the fide of the ftalks, gar- 

 nifhed with leaves which are hoary and foft to the 

 touch ; they are angular, and placed alternately on 

 the branches ; the flowers come out from the wings 

 of the leaves, which are fhaped like thofeof the Mal- 

 low, but are fmaller and of a pale colour. Thefe ap- 

 pear in June or July, and the feeds ripen in Septem- 

 ber. It may be propagated fall enough, either by 

 feeds or parting their roots. When it is propa- 

 gated by feeds they fhould be fown in the fpring, but 

 if by parting their roots, the beft time is in autumn, 

 v/hen the ftalks decay. It will thrive in any foil or 

 fituation, but in moift places will grow larger than 

 in dry land. The plants fhould not be nearer toge- 

 ther than two feet, for their roots fpread wide on 



every fide.. 



The fccond fort is fomewhat like the firft, but the 

 leaves are not fo long, nor do they end in a fharp 

 point, but are angular, and rounder than thofe of the 

 firft. I have cultivated fhis in the Chelfea garden 

 many years, and find it retains its difference, 

 . The third fort grows naturally in Spain and Portu- 

 gal; from both thefe countries I have received the 

 feeds. This is u low plant, whofe branches trail on 

 the ground, unlefs they are fupported by ftakes. The 

 ' leaves and ftalks are befet with ftrohg hairs ; the 3 



flowers come out at the wings of the ftalks, and are 

 .fmaller than thofe of the common fort, having pur- 



pliih bottoms. The leaves are deeply cut into three 



parts, and have long foot-ftalks ; the ftalks are wood- ] 4 



dy, but feldom laft more than two years. 



If the feeds of this fort are fown in April, the plants 



will flower in July, and the feeds ripen in Septem- 



ber; They fliould be fown in the places where they 



are to remain, for as the roots Ihoot deep into the 

 ground, unlefs the plants are removed very young/ 

 they feldom furvive tranfplanting. - 

 The fourth fort has a woody ftem, which riles to the 

 height of four or live htt^ and puts out many fide 

 branches. Thefe are garnifhed with leaves of dif- 

 ferent fhapes ; thofe which are on the lower part of 

 the ftllks are like a hand, very (lightiy cut toward 

 their outfide, but thofe which are placed on the upper 

 - part of the branches, are deeply cut into feveral parts ; 

 thefe are hairy, and grow alternately on the branches ; 

 the flowers come out from the wings of the ftalks in 

 the fame manner as the other forts, but are not fo 



■ large as thofe of the common Marftimallow ; they are 

 of a deeper red colour, and the empalement is much 

 larger. This fort feldom flowers the firft year, unlefs 

 the fummer proves warm •, but when the plants live 



. through the winter^- they will flower early the follow- 

 ing fummer, and produce good feeds. This grows 

 naturally in Hungary and litria, from both Nvhich 



filaces I have received the feeds.- ^ . 

 t is propagated by feeds, which fhould be fown in 



■ . the fpring in the place where the plants are to re- 

 main i or if otherwife, the plants muft be tranfplanted 

 young, elfe they will not fucceed. They fhould have 

 a fheltered fituation and a dry foil, otherwife they will 

 not live through the winter in England. When thefe 

 plants grow in a ftony foil^ or in lime rubbifh, they 

 will be ftinted in their growth, but they will have lefs 

 fap in their branches, fo will better endure the cold of 

 this climate. This fort feldom continues longer than 

 two years in England, but as the feeds ripen here, the 

 plants may be had in plenty. 



ALTHiEA FRUTEX. See Hibiscus and La- 



.^VATERA. 



A L Y S S O I D E Si See Alyssum and Lunaria. 

 ALYSSON ALPINUMLUTEUM. SeeDRABA, 

 ALYSSON SEGETUM. SeeMvAGRUM. 

 ALYSSON SERPILLI FOLIO. See ClypeOla. 

 ALYSSON VERONICJE FOLIO. See Draba. 

 ALYSSON VULG ARE. See Draba. 

 ALYSSUM, ["AAuTo-oi/, of aAuWw, Gr. to be mad; 



■ fo called, becaufe it was believed to have the virtue 

 of curing madnefs.] Madwort. 



The Characters are, ■ 



The flower hath an oblong four4eaved empalement, which 

 falls azvay. It hath four petals inform of a crofs, which 

 fpread open above the empalement. ■ It hath fix fiamina^ 

 two of which are \ floor ter than the other four^ crowned 

 with broad fummits ; in the center of the flower is fitu- 

 ated the oval ger men, fupporting a fingle fiyle, crowned 

 with an ohtufe fiigma. After the flower is pafi, the ger- 

 men becomes a globular or compreffed feed-veffel, in which 

 are lodged feveral compreffed feeds. . ' 

 This genus is ranged in the fifteenth clafs of Lia- 

 nseus, entitled Tetradynamia Siliculofa ; the flowers 

 of this clafs have fix ftamina, four of which are longer 

 than the other two, and the feed-veflfels are fhort, in 

 fome globular, and in others tjiey are compreffed. 

 The Species are, 

 I. Alyssum {Saxatile) caulibus frutefcentibus panicula- 

 tis foliis lanceolatis mollifTimis undulatis integris. 

 Prod. Leyd. 331. Madwort with florubby fialks, flow- 

 ers growing in panicles, and whole, foft, fpear-fhaped waved 

 leaves. Alyilbn Creticum faxatile foliis undulatis in- 



canis. Tourn. Cor. 15. 

 Alyssum {Halimifolium) foliis lanceolato-hnearibus 



acutis integerrimis caulibus procumbentibus peren- 

 nantibus. Hort. Cliff. 333. Madwort with whoky 

 fpear-fhaped, pointed leaves, and trailing perennial flalks. 

 Alyffon halimi folio fempervirens. Tourn. Inft. 

 Alyssum {Spinoft 

 mibus nudis. 



Madwort, whofe 

 Thlafpi fruticofum 



Hort. Cliff. 332. 

 older branches have naked fpines. 

 fpinofum. C. B. P. 108. 



Alyssum {Montammi) ramulis fuffrutlcofis dlffufisfo- 

 .Ijis punftato-echinatis. Hort. Upfal. 185. Madwort 

 with fhrubby diffufed branches and leaves, having prickly 



pun^ures. Thlafpi montanumluteum. J. B. 2. p. 928- 



5. Alyssum 



