A 



R 



proves favourable; then Ihould be removed either 

 into a green-houfc, or a glafs cafe, where they may 

 enjoy as much free air as pofTible, but fecured from 

 froft, with which management they will thrive and 

 produce plenty of flowers; but where they are drawn 

 weak in winter, they will not appear fightly. 

 The fifth fort is an annual plant, which grows na- 

 turally in Africa. Tliis hath an herbaceous flalk 

 about nine inches high, which divides toward the top 

 into three or four branches, garnifhed with fmooth 

 leaver, divided into fegments like thofe of Bucks- 

 horn Plantain; the flowers are larj^e, of a bright yellov/ 



A 



1 



"which compofe the rays^ or border^ are ftretched out en 

 one fide like a tongue^ and are fiightly indented in five parts. 

 Thofe ivhich ccmpofe the dijk^ or middle^ are fiinneUfic^d^ 

 cut at the top into jive parts-, thefe have both five fiaider 

 fi;amina in each^ 'which are fioprt^ and crc-ivned by cylin- 

 drical ftwimiis ; in thofe of 'the difk is fttuated a fhort 

 crowned germm, fupporting a flcnder fiyle^ crowned by a 

 bifid fiigma, The germen afteruoard heccmes a turbinated 



colour, and are produced at the extremity of the 

 branches in a compaA Ample corymbus; thefe ap- 

 pear in July and Auguft, but are rarely fucceeded 

 by ripe feeds in this country. 



This is propagated by feeds when they can be ob- 

 tained good, which fliould be fown on a m.oderate 

 Ihot-bed the latter end of March; when the plants are 

 come up they fliould have air in proportion to the 

 warmth of the feafon admitted to them, to prevent 



The 



in fammcr, and the others into warm borders, where 

 they will flower all the autumn, but unlefs the feafon 

 is very warm, they will not ripen feeds. 

 The fixth fort grows naturally on the fea coaflrs in 

 the warm parts of Europe, and alfo in fome parts of 

 Wales, from whence I have received plants, 

 ftalks trail on the ground, feldom growing more than 

 feven or eight inches long, garnifhed clofely with 

 woolly leaves, which are fpear-fhaped, entire, and ob- 

 tufe ; the flowers are of a bright yellow, each pro- 

 duced on a fingle foot-ftalk, forming a kind of co- 

 rymbus ; they appear in June and July, but rarely 



comprej/ed fecd^ cro-ivned v:ith a plume of down^ fijut up 

 in the empalement. 



This genus of plants is ranged in the flrfl: feftlon of 

 Linn^eus's feventeenth clafs, entitled Syngencila Po- 

 lygamia /Equalis, from tlie florets of the border and 

 dilk being hermaphrodite. ■ 

 The Species are, 

 I. Atractylis {Cancellata) involucris cancellatis ven- 

 tricofis, linearibus dentatis calycibus ovatis, floribus 

 flofculofis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 830. Diftaff Thijlle with a 

 bellied netted involacrum^ an ovaU indented.^ linear em^ 

 palement^ and fiofculous flowers. Cnicus exiguus capite 

 cancellato femine tomentofo. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 

 their drawing up weak; and fo foon as they are big j 2. Atractylis {Humilis) foliis dentato-finuatis, flore 

 enough to remove they fliould be tranfplanted on j radiato obvallato involucro patente, caule herbaceo. 

 another gentle hot-bed, at three inchesdi fl:ance, obfer- j Lin. Sp. Plant. 829. Diflaff Thiftle tvith fmuated in- 

 ving to fl:sade them until they have gotfrefli root; after I dented leaves., a radiated flower ftrongly guarded by its 

 which they mufl: have air and water, and by the end J fpreading involucrum.^ and an herbaceous flalk. Cnicus 

 of May, the plants will have acquired fl:rength enough j aculeatus purpureus humilior. Tourn. Infl:. R. H. 

 to be tranfplanted into the open air ; when fome may j 451. 

 be planted in pots to place among other exotic plants J 3. Atractylis {Gumrmfera) flore acaule. Lin. Sp. Plant. 



^%(). I)iftaffThifde with a flower without a ftalhQ^\o:x% 

 Carlinas folio acaulos gummifer aculeatus. Tourn. 

 Cor. 33. 



The firil fort grows naturafly in Spain, Sicily, and 

 other warm parts of Europe. This is an annual plant 

 which feldom riles more than eight or nine inches 

 high, with a flendcr fl:em, thinly garniflied witli nar- 

 row hoary leaves," having fpincs on their edges ; at 

 the top of the fl:alk there are two or tlaree flender 

 branches fent out, each being terminated by a head 

 of flowers, like thofe of the Thillle, with an invo- 

 lucrum compofcd of fcveral narrow leaves, armed 

 with fpines on their fide, which are longer than the 

 head of flowers. The empalement is curioufly netted 

 over, and is narrow at the top, but fwelling below, 

 containing many florets of a purplifli colour. Thefe 

 are each fucceeded by a Angle downy feed ; it flow- 

 ers in July, and, if the feafon be warm and dry, it 

 will ripen its feeds in September, but in cold years 

 never perfeds feeds here. 



It is propagated by feeds, v/hich mufl: be fown upon 

 an open bed of light earth, where the plants are to 

 remain, and will require no other care but to keep 

 them clean from weeds, and thin the plants where 

 they come up too clofe together. 

 , The fecond fort rifes with a fl:alk near a foot high, 

 which is garniflied with indented leaves, having fmall 

 fpines on their edges ; the upper part of the ILalk is 

 divided into two or three flender branches, each fup- 

 porting a head of purple flowers, having rays in the 

 border, and florets in the difK, inclofed in a fcaly em- 

 palemcnt. l"he roots of this will live two or three 

 years ; it flowers in June, but unlefs the fummer is 

 warm and dry, it will not perfeft feeds in England. 

 The feeds of this fort fliould be fown where they are 

 to remain, and will require no other culture than the 

 former. It grows naturally about Madrid, from 

 whence I received the feeds. 



^ 



The third fort grows naturally in Italy, and the iflands 

 of the Archipelago, and is what the College of Phy- 

 ficians have placed among the medicinal flmples, by 

 the title of Carline Thillle ; the root of this is per- 

 ennial, and fends out many narrow leaves, which 

 are deeply finuated, and armed with fpines on their 

 edges. Thefe lie clofe on the ground, and betv/ecn 

 them the flower is fituated, without fl:alk, having 



ripen feeds in the garden. 

 This may be propagated by planting flips or cuttings 

 during the fummer months, in the fame way as the 

 African forts ; fome of the plants fhould be put into 

 pots to be placed under a hot-bed frame in winter, 

 the other may be planted in a warm border, where if 

 the winter proves favourable they will live, but they 



rarely furvive cold winters. 



c? 



Gr. a fphere] is an appendage of the earth, which 



confifl:s of a thin, fluid, elaftic fubfliance, called air, 



furrounding the terraqueous glob^ to a confiderable 



height. 



The whole mafs, or aflemblage of ambient air, is 



commonly underft:ood to be the atmiofphere. 



But the more accurate writers refl:rain the term at- 



mofphere to that part of the air which is next to the 



earth, which receives the vapours and exhalations, 



and which is terminated by the refraction of the light 



of the fan. 



Thofe fpaces that are higher, and beyond thefe, are 



called a:ther; and, being fuppofed to be poffefl^ed By 



a finer fubftance, are called the i^thereal regions, tho' 



thefe, perhap?, are not defl:itute of air. 



This atmofphere inflnuates itfelf into all the vacuities 



of bodies, and by that means becomes the great 



fpring of mofi: of the mutations here below, as ge- 



nerat'iou, corruption, diffolution of vegetables, &c. 



to the prefiTure of the atmofphere, plants owe their 



vegetation, as well as animals do their refpiration, 



circulation, and nutrition. 



ATRACTYLIS. Lin. Gen. Plant. 837. Difl:afi' 



lliiflle. • 



The Characters are, 



/- 



/ 



' florets.^ 

 I empalem 

 :fed off 





td flowery compofed of many 

 which are included in a common 

 mt. This haih a permanent invo- 

 veral narrow plain leaves^ which 

 nr fides. The hermaphrodite florets 



many florets, inclofed in a prickly empalement. Thofe 

 on the border are white, but thofe which compofe the 

 diflc are of a yellowifli colour. It flovvers in July, but 

 never perfeds feeds in England. 



