R 



Weathfer, the ground will remain clean until the plant 

 is fit for uie. Where thefe plants are fown on a rich 

 foil, and allowed a good diltance, the leaves will be 

 very large, in which the goodncfs of the herb con- 

 fifts. Tills mud be eaten while it is young ; for, 

 when the ftalks become tough, it is good for nothing. 

 Some few plants of each kind may be permitted to 

 ftand for feed, to preferve their kinds, which will 

 ripen in Augull", and may then be cut, and laid on 

 a cloth to dry ; after which the feeds may be beaten 

 out, and put up for ufe. The firft fort is ordered by 

 the College of Phyficians for medicinal ufe. ^ 

 The fecond fort was formerly cultivated in gardens 

 as a ftirub ; and, by fome perfons, they were formed 

 into hedges, and conftantly fheared, to keep them 

 thick ; but this plant is by no means fit for fuch pur- 

 pofes, on many accounts, for it grows too vigorous i 

 the fhoots, in one month, at the growing feafon of 

 the year, will be two feet long, provided they have 

 a good foil ; fo that a hedge of this plant cannot be 

 kept in tolerable order, nor will it ever form a thick 

 hedge. But a worfe inconvenience attends this plants 

 for, in very hard winters, it is often deftroyed ; as 

 alio, in veiy dry fummers, many of the plants will 

 decay, whereby there will become large gaps in the 



hedge. 



But although this plant will not be proper for hedges, 

 yet it may have a place in wildernefs quarters, where 

 it will ferve to thicken ; and the filver-coloured leaves 

 will add to the variety, among other Ihrubs of the 

 fame growth. This will grow eight or ten feet high, 

 and, if fuffered to grow wild, without pruning, will 

 fpread feveral feet in compafs, and will fometimes 

 produce flowers. 



It may be propagated by cuttings, which may be 

 planted in any of the fummer months, on a fliady 

 border i where, if they are duly watered, they will 

 focn take root, and be fit to tranfplant the Michael- 

 mas following, when tliey fhould be planted where 

 they are to remain ; for they do not fucceed well in 

 tranfplanting, efpecially when they are grown pretty 

 large and woody. 



Tlie third fort grows wild in divers parts of England, 

 on the fea fide, from whence the plants may be pro- 

 cured ; or it may be propagated by cuttings, in the 

 fame manner as the former fort. This is a low under 

 fhrub, feldom rifing above two feet and a half, or at 

 moll three feet high, but becomes very bufhy. The 

 leaVes of this kind are narrow, and of a whitifh co- 

 lour, but are not fo white as thofe of the former. 

 Tliis may have a place amongft other low fhrubs \ 

 and, if planted on a poor gravelly foil, will abide fe- 

 veral years, and make a pretty diverfity. 



'1 



ladonna frutefcens rotundifolia Hifuanica, touhi 



Inli R. H. yy. ■ 



Atropa {Herbacea) caule herbaceo, fciliis ovatis ner- 

 vofis marginibus undulatis. Deadly NightJIoade ^xith an 

 herbateous ftalk^ and oval ^jcined leaves waved on their 

 edg^s. 



The firft fort grows wild in many parts of Eno-hnd, 

 but is not very frequent near London. I have ob- 

 ferved it in Woodftock Park in Oxfordfhire, and in 

 great abunclance in Uppatk in Hampfhire. This 

 plant hath a perennial root, which fends out ftroiio- 

 herbaceous ftalks of a purplifll colour, which rife to 

 the height of four or five feet, garhiftied with obloha 

 entire leaves, which toward autumn change to a pur- 

 plifll coloui* ; the flowers arfe large and come out be- 

 tween the leaves fingly, upon long foot-ftalks •, bell- 

 fliaped, and of a dulky brown colour on their out- 

 fide, but are purple within. After the flower is paft^ 

 the germen turns to a large round berry, si little 

 flatted at the' top, and is firft green, but when ripe 

 turns to a fliining black, fitting clofe upon the em- 

 palement, and contains a purple juice of a haufeous 

 fweet tafte, and full of fmall kidney-ftiaped feeds. In 

 fome places this plant is called Dwale, but in genei-al 

 Deadly Nightfliade, from its quality. It h rarely- 

 admitted into gardens, nor indeed fliould it be fuf- 

 fered to grow in any places where children refort, for 

 it is a ftrong poifon : there have been feveral inftunces 

 within a few years paft, of its deadly quality, by fe- 

 veral children being killed with eating the berries, 

 which are of a fine black colour, and about the fize 

 of a black Cherry, and not unpleafant to the tafte. 

 Mr. Ray gives a good account of the various fvnip- 

 toms it produces, by what happened to a Mendicant 

 Frier, upon his drinking a glafs of Mallow wine, in 

 which this plant was infufed : in a Ihort time he be- 

 came delirious, foon after was feized with a grinning 

 laughter, after that feveral irregular motions, and at 

 laft a real madnefs fucceeded; and fuch a ftupidity 

 as thofe that are fottiflily drunk hive, which after aii^ 

 was cured by a draught of vinegar. 

 There is alfo an inftance of the direful effedls of this 

 plant recorded in Buchanan's Hiftoiy of Scotland, 

 wherein he gives an account of the deftrudicn of th6 

 army of Sweno, when he invaded Scotland, by n\\x- ■ 

 ing a quantity of the juice of thefe berries with the 

 drink which the Scots by their truce were to fupply 

 them with ; which fo intoxicated the Danes, that the 

 Scots fell upon them in their fleep, and killed the 

 greateft part of them, fo that there were fc^rcely men 

 enough left to carry off their king. 

 The fecond rifes with a flirubby ftem to the height 

 of fix or eight feet, and divides into many branches. 



ATROPA. Lin Gen. Plant. 222. Belladonna. Tourn. garniflied with round leaves, in ftiape like thofe of 



Inft. R. H. yj. Deadly Nightfliade. 

 The Characters are, 



deflower hath apermnnent empalement of one leaf^ eut ; 

 Jive parts •, it is bell-jh ^ed^ the tube isjkcrt^ andfwells 



frora the bafe of 



fpreads 

 Jive awl'Jhaped Jlamina rifing 



fpread from each other, and are crowned with large fo 



Jiand 



fupporting a Jlender Jiylt 



tranfverfe ftigma, Th 



^buhr berry having thret 



id filed with kidney-fi. 



M 



fitt. 



'/^ 



I. 



I'his genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion of 

 Linna^Lis's fifth clafs, entitled Pentandria Monogynia, 

 the flower having five ftamina and one ftyle. 



The Species are, 

 Atropa {Belladonna) caule herbaceo, foliis ovatis in- 



b 



fialk. 



htfhade 

 Belladonna 



majoribus foliis & floribus. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 



77 



'it eft 



fertis, foliis cordato-ovatis obtufis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 



182. Deadly Nightfoade with a fmthby ftalk^ foot-ftalks 



in chfcrs^ and ovaly hcart-fhaped^ cbtife leaves. Bel- 



the Storax-tree v thefe are placed alternately en the 

 branches. The flowers come out between the leaves 

 upon ftiort foot-ftalks, which are ftiaped like thofe 

 of the former, but much lefs, of a dirty yellowifli 

 colour, with a few brown ftripes^ thefe are never 

 fucceeded by berries in England. It grows naturally 

 in Spain, from whence the feeds may be procured. 

 It is propagated by feeds, which fliould be fown ia 

 the fpring upon a very moderate hot-bed, juft to bring 

 up the plants ; when they are fit to remove, they 

 fhould be each put into a feparate fmall pot, filled 

 with loamy earth, and fliaded until they take root ; 

 then they may be placed with other hardy exotic 

 plants in a flieltered fituation,* and in Oftober they 

 muft be removed into the green-houfe, and treated 

 as other plants from the fame country. It flowers in 

 July and Auguft. 



The feeds of the third fort were fent me from Cam- 

 peachy -, this hath a perennial root, which puts out 

 feveral channelled herbaceous ftalks, which rife about 

 two feet high-, and toward the top divide into two or 

 three fmall branches, garniflied w^ith oval lcavt;s 

 four inclies long and three broad, having feveral 

 tranfverfe ribs on their under fide, which are promi- 

 nent. The flowers come out from between the leaves 

 on fhort foot-ftalks ^ they are white, and fliaped lik^; 



F f thofe 



