A M M 



^ 



flaade them till they have taken frclh root-, then chey 



fliould be placed in a glafs-cale or fiovc to ripen their 



feeds, for the plants are too tender to thrive in the 



. open air in this country, unlefs the funmier proves 



very warm. 



The fecond fort grows naturally in Virginia and Ca- 

 ' rolina ; this is an annual plant, wlfich rifcs about a 

 foot high, with red fucculcnt ftalks, putting our fide 

 branches, which grow oppofite : the flowers are pro- 

 duced fingle from the wings on the lower part of the 

 branches, but toward the top they are in clufters ; 

 thefe have no beauty, foare onlypreferved in botanic 

 gardens for the fake of variety. This fort will per- 

 fect its feeds in the open air, if the plants are raifed 

 on a hot-bed in the fpring, and planted in a warm 



border. ^ . - - . , 



The third fort grows naturally in China ; this is a 



very low plant, feldom rifmg more than three inches 



high ; the leaves are placed oppofite on the branches, 



and the fiov/ers grow in whorles from the wings of 



the ftalk. As this plant has little beauty, it is rarely 



preferved in gardens. It muft be raifed on a hot-bed 



in the fpring, and treated in the. fame manner as the 



firft fort, with which management the feeds will ripen 



■ in England. 



A MM I [''A^pi, Gr.] Bifliops-weed. ' 



■ The Characters are, - ' 



'belliferous plant \ the great umbel is compofed 



like ravs. The outer 



of. many /mailer , "which are difpofed 



/ 



ifed of 



e length of the umbeL The fmall 



Thefli 



difform^ each having fi' 



■ fiaped \ thofe in the outer rays being large and unequal in 



. Jize, but thofe in the ceitter^ which compofe the dijk^ are 



■nearly eqtial The flowers have five flender flamifia^ which 



are crowned with roundifh fummits. In the center of the 



empalenient is fituated the germen^ fupporting tzvo re- 



fiexed ftyleSy crowned with obtufe ftigma. The germen 



afterward becomes a fmalk rounds Jlriated fruity compofed 



. of two feeds, which are plain within and convex on their 



.^ outfide, ^ . ^ .. . 



This genus of plants is by Dr. Linnasus ranged In 

 the fecond fedlion of his fifth clafs, entitled Pentan- 

 dria Digynia, the flowers having five ftamina and two 



■. ftyles, ■ . , 



The Species are, 

 J. Ammi {Majus) foliis inferioribus pinnatis lanceolatis 



ferratis, fuperioribus multifidis hnearibus. Hort. 



Upfal. ^g, BipGps-weed with under leaves, which are 

 \ winged, fpear-fhaped, and fawed^ and the upper leaves 



are divided into many narrow fegments. This is the 



Ammi majus, C. B. P. 159. And the Ammi vulgare. 



2. 



Dod, p. 415. 

 'Ammi (GlaucifoU 



Bift. 



floape of a fp 



BifJ: 



glaucifolium perenne. Mor. Hill. 3. p. 295. 

 The firft fort is annual ^ of this there is a variety, 

 which is mentioned by John Bauhin as a diftin£t fpe- 

 cies, under the title of Ammi majus foliis plurimum 

 incifis & nonnihil crifpis ; but I have frequently had 

 this variety arife from 'the feeds of the former, fo I 

 have not enumerated it as a different fort. 

 This plant is, propagated by feeds, which fliould be 

 fown in the autumn in the place where It is to re- 

 main ; and in the fpring, the ground fliould be hoed 

 to cut up the weeds, and alfo to thin the plants in 

 the fame manner as is praftifed for Carrots^ Jeaving 

 them four or five inches afunder ; or if the ground is 

 good where they grow, they muft be left at leaft fix 

 inches, for they will grow large and cover the ground ; 

 after this they will require no farther care, but to 

 keep them clean from weeds. In June they will flow- 

 er, and their feeds will ripen in Auguft, wliich fliould 

 be gathered as it ripens, othcrwife it will foon fcatter. 

 Thefe feeds are ufed in medicine, fo may be had in 

 plenty with this management ^ for it will grow in any 

 fituation that is open, but thrivesbeft on llglit fandy 



pre- 



M 



land. ■ When tlie feeds are fown in the fpring, tlicy 

 feldom come up the fame year -, and if they fliould, 

 thofe plants will be weak and produce few feeds. 

 The fecond fort is a perennial plant, which is 

 ferved in botanic gardens for variety, but having lit- 

 tle beauty, Is rarely admitted into other gardens. It 

 may be propagated by feeds, which fliould be fown 

 in the autumn, becaufe thofe fown in the fpring, fel- 

 dom come up the fame year. It will grow in any open 

 fituation, is veiy hardy, and thrives beft on a moift 

 foih 



AMMI PERENNE. See Sium. 



A MO MUM. Lin. Gen. Plant. 2. Zinzlber. C. B. P. 



35. Gingeh 



The Characters are^ 



The flowers are colkoled into a fcaly fpike, each having a 

 double (fpatha) or floeath *, the outer fheath loofely covers 

 the fcale, and the inner encompaffes the, tube of the flower 

 with the parts of generation : the flower is of one leaf^ 

 tubuloHs beloxv, but divided into three parts at the brim^ 

 the middle fegment being longer and broader than the others^ 

 In the bofom of the fl,ower is fituated an oblong thick nee- 

 tariuni. From the tube of the flower arifes two fender 

 flamina, which are crowned with thick fljort fummits. 

 Under the receptacle of the flower is placed the round ger- 

 men, fupporting a fingle fiyle, zvhich is as long as the 

 tube of the flower, crowned zvith a hairy ftigma. The 

 germen afterward becomes an oval three-cornered feed-vef- 

 fel, opening in three parts, containing feveral feeds. 

 This genus of plants is by Dr. Linnaeus ranged In 

 his firft clafs, entitled Monandria Monogynia ; but 

 it more properly belongs to his fecond, for the 

 flowers of this have tv/o ftamina, one of which is 

 joined to the upper fegment of the flower, and this 

 foon lofes it fummits, fo appears to be only a feg- 

 ment. This I have co^ftantly found in ail the flow- 

 ers which I have examined ; thq flowers have but 

 one ftyle. 



The Species are, 



1. Amomum fcapo nudo fpica ovatd. Hort. CliflT. 3; 

 Amomum with a naked ftalk and oval fpike of flowers^ 

 Zinzlber, C. B. P. 35. Ginger, 



2. Amomum fcapo nudo fpica oblonga obtusa. Hort.' 

 Clifl; 3. - Amomum with a naked ftalk and an oblong blunt 

 flower-fpike, Zinzlber latifolium fylveftre, Hort. 

 Lugd. 636. Broad-leaved wild Ginger, called Zerumbet. 



3. Amomum fcapo braiteis alternis laxis, caule folio- 

 rum altifiimo. /hnomum withfl^ower-ftalks loofely branch- 

 ing alternately, and very tall leaf 'ftalks. 



The firft, which is the common Ginger, is cultivated 

 for fale in moft of the iflands of America, but is a 

 native of the Eaft-Indies, and alfo of fome parts of 

 the Weft-Indies, v/here it is found growing naturally 

 without culture. The dried rpots of this fortfurnifli 

 a confiderable export from the Britifli colonies in 

 America. The roots are of great ufe in the kitchen, 

 as alfo in medicine ; and the green roots preferved as 

 , a fweatmeat, are preferable to every other fort. 

 The roots of this fort are jointed J and fpread in the 

 ground ; thefe put out many green reed-like ftalks in 

 the fpring, w^hlch rife to the height of two feet and a 

 half, garniftied with long narrow leaves, clofely em- 

 bracing the ftalks at their bafe. The flower-ftems 

 afterward arife by the fide of thefe, immediately from 

 the root ; thefe are naked, ending with an oblong 

 fc^ly fpike ; from each of thefe fcales is produced a 

 fingle blue flower, whofe petals are but little longer 

 than the fquamofe covering. The flowers appear in 

 September, and in about a month after the ftalks en- 

 tirely decay, fo that the roots remain inaftive three or 



four months. 



The fecond fort grows naturally In India; the roots 



of this are much larger than tliofe of the firft', but are 



jointed In the fame manner. The ftalks grow from 



three, to near four feet high, garniflied with oblong 



leaves, placed alternately, and embrace the ftalks at 



their bafe. T\\t flov/er-fteins arife immediately from 



the root ; thefe are terminated by oblong, blunt, 



fcaly heads -, out of each f 'ale is produced a fingle 



white flower, v/hofe petals extend a confiderable length 



beyond 



