",* 



AS 



the flowers come out from the wings of the leaves, 

 two or three together •, but the ftalks are terminated 

 by loofe fpikes of pale yellow flowers, which are 

 rarely fuccccckd by pods in England. The ftalks de- 

 cay in autumn, and rife again in the fpring. The 

 roots of this fort continue many years, and will live 

 abroad in a warra border and a dryToik The feeds 

 will come up in the full ground, if fown in April, 

 and in autumn they may be planted huo the borders 

 where they are defigned to remain. 

 I'he feventh fort is" an annual plant, which rifes a 

 foot and a half liigh, wth an ereft herbaceous ftalk, 

 garnifiied with winged leaves, compofed of three pair 

 of oval lobes ; the flowers come out fingly from, the 

 wings of the leaves •, thefe are fmall, yellow, and of 

 the fame fliapc with thofe of the other fpecies, and 

 are fucceeded by taper pods, having cells containing 

 two rows of feeds. It grows naturally in Jamaica, 



t - 



and the other fugar iflands; 

 This is propagated by feeds, which mAifc be fowri on 

 a hot-bed in the fpring, and the plants afterward treat- 

 ed in the fame manner as hath been directed for the 

 firft fort. Tliey flower in July, anci the feeds ripen in 

 October, and then the plants will decay'. 

 The eighth fort is the tree which produces the purg- 

 ing Caffia which is ufed in medicine.*- It grows na- 

 turally in Alexandria, and in both Indies, where it 

 rifes to the height of forty or fifty feet, with a large 

 trunk, dividing into many branches, garniihed with 

 winged leaves, compofed of five {>air of fpear-fliaped 

 lobes, which are fmooth, having many tranfverfe 

 nerves from the midrib to the borders -, the midrib is 

 very prominent on the under fide -, the flowers are 

 produced in long fpikes at the end of the branches, 

 each ftanding upon a pretty long foot-ftalk ; thefe are 



> compofed of five large concave petals, of a deep yel- 

 low colour, and are fucceeded by cylindrical pods, 

 which are from one to two feet long, with a dark 

 brown woody fliell, having a longitudinal feam on one 

 fide, divided into many cells by tranfverfe partitions, 

 each containing one or two oval, fmooth, comprefled 

 feeds, lodged in a fweetiili black pulp, which is the 

 part ufed in 'medicine. ^U- - \ •''.:■> 



This tree is propagated by feeds, which may be eafily 

 procured from the druggifts who import the pods for 

 life ; thefe muft be fown oh a hot-bed in the fpring, 

 and when the plants come up, they muft be treated 

 in the fame manner as the firft fort, during the firft 

 fummer j and in autumn they muft be removed into 

 aftove, and plunged into the tan-bed: during the 

 winter they ftiould have very little water i for as thefe 

 trees grow naturally in dry fandy land, moifture is a 

 great enemy to them, but efpecially during that fea- 

 fon. In the fummer they ftiould have a good ftiare of 

 air admitted to them in warm weather, but they will 

 not thrive in the open air in this country, at the 

 warhicft time of the year, fo ftiould conftantly remain 



/ in the ftove. With proper care thefe plants will grow 

 to the height of eight or ten feet, and produce their 

 flowers, when they make a fine appearance. ■ ..' " 

 The ninth fort grows naturally in the Bahama Iflands, 

 from whence I received the feeds. This is an annual 

 plant, wliich rifes v/ith an upright ftalk two feet and 

 a halt high, garoiflied with wnnged leaves, compofed 

 of fix pair of lobes," which are fmooth, narrow, and 

 fpear-fliaped, ftanding at wide diftances ; the flowers 



■ are colledled into loofe bunches at the top of the 

 ftalks, which are of a pale yellow, and are fucceeded 

 by long compreflx^d pods. It flowers in July, and the 

 feeds ripen in autumn. This muft be treated as the 

 firft fort. 



The tentli fort was fent me from La Vera Cruz, in 

 New Spain, by the late Dr. Houftoun. This grows 

 upward of twenty feet high, with fevcral trunks co- 

 vered with brown bark •, thefe divide into many 

 branches upward, garnifiied with winged leaves, com- 

 pofed of two pair of lobes, v^hich in the lower 

 leaves are oval ; but thofe of the upper are five inches 

 long, and two and a half broad in tlie middle, fmooth, 

 and of a light grcen^ ' Tfic flowers are produced in 



which muft be few u 

 afterward treated in 



< i 



M 



•CAS 



t 



loofe fpikes at the extremity of the branches, wTiich 

 are large, of a gold colour, and fucceeded by tapt:r 

 brown pods about nine inches long, having man\' 

 tranfverfe partitions, in which the feeds arc lodo-cd in 

 a thin pulp. 



This fort is propagated by feeds, 

 upon a hot-bed, and the plants 

 the fame manner as the eighth fort, for tlie plants 

 will not live abroad in this country in the warmcft fea- 

 fonofthe year ^ but if properly managed in the ftove, 

 will produce their beautiful flowers in three or four 

 years from the ■ feed. 

 The eleventh fort grows in great plenty in rnoft of the 

 iflands of the Weft Indies. This rifes to agreatmao-- 

 nitude, with a large trunk, dividing into many 

 branches, garniftied with' vefy- long' winged leaves, 

 compofed of twelve or fourteen pair of oblong blunt 

 lobes, which are fmooth, of alight green, and placed 

 near together. The flowers come out in loofe fpikes 

 'at the end of the branches, which are of a pale Car- 

 nation colour, fliaped like thofe of the other fpecies, 

 and are fucceeded by large cylindrical pods, divided 

 by tranfverfe partitions into many cells, in which the 

 feeds are lodged, furrounded with a black puro-ino- 

 pulp. 



nerally given to horfes, and feldom taken by any pcr- 

 fons on account of its griping quality. 

 It is propagated by feeds, which fhould be fown, and 

 the plants afterward treated in the fame manner as the 

 eighth fort, with which management they will thrive 

 and produce flowers in England. 

 The twelfth fort was fent me from the Havannah by 

 the late Dr. Houftoun. This hath an herbaceous ftalk, 

 which divides into many branches, rifing about three 

 feet high, garniftied with winged leaves, compofed 

 of feven pair of oblong oval lobes, which are rounded 

 at the end. The flowers come out from the fide of 



This is called Horfe Caflla, becaufe it is f^e- 



' ■ 



the following 



the branches, upon very long foot-ftalks, difpofed 

 in loofe fpikes; thefe are of a pale yellow, and are 

 fucceeded by recurved pods, containing one row of 

 comprefl!ed feeds. - ' ■• '. -^^i .. 



This IS a biennial plant, which, if brought forward 

 early in the fpring, will fometimes perfeft feeds the 

 fame year ; but if they fhould fail, the plant's may be 

 kept through the winter in a ftove, as the firft fort, 

 and good feeds may be obtained 

 feafon. 



4 - 



The thirteenth fort rifes with feveral weak ftirubby 

 ftalks about two ftct high, clofely garniftied with 

 winged leaves, compofed of three pair of lobes, which 

 are very narrow at their bafe, enlarging to the top^ 

 where they are blunt, and rounded with a little in- 

 denture at the point; thefe contrad; clofely every 

 evening, after the fun has left them. The flowers 

 come out fingle from the fide of the branches, ftand- 

 ing upon very long foot-ftalks ; they are of a briglit 

 yellow, and fliaped like tfiofe of the other fpecies, 

 and are fucceeded by narrow flat pods, an inch and 

 a half long. This grows plentifully in Jamaica. It 

 is propagated by feeds, which muft be fown on a 

 hot-bed, and managed as the other tender forts ; it 



will continue two or three years, if placed in a wartn 

 ftove. 



The fourteenth fort fends out from the root two or 

 thre^ flender ftalks, which trail on the ground, gar- 

 nifiied with winged leaves, having four pair of fmall 

 roundifli lobes, of a pale green ; at the infertion of 

 the foot-ftalks arife thofe of the flower, wliich is 

 jointed, dividing into two fliorter at the top, fuftain- 

 ing two fmall yellow flowers. This grows naturally 

 , in Jamaica, from whence the feeds were fent me. It 

 is an annual plant, whofe feeds muft be fown early 

 in the fpring on a hot-bed, and treated like the other 

 kinds ; but as the branches of this grow near the 

 ground, fo the plants may remain under a frame all 

 the fumsner, and will flower in July ; when, if the 

 feafon is warm, they muft have have a large fliarc of 

 air, otlierwife the flowers will fall oft', witliout being 

 fucceeded by pods ; but if rightly managed, tlie feeds 



will ripen in autumn. 



The 



