I 



1 IS 



R A 



I C= ^ssuL \ [Porfjiacaria) foliis obovatis, oppolitis, 

 cauie arborco. Lin. Sp. 406. Lejfcr Orpine i^ltb ob- 

 -jerfe oval leaves placed cppcfile, and a tree-like fialk. 

 Crafllib portulaca; facie arborelcens. Hort. Elth. 120. 



* 



The iirll fort hath a round reddifh flalk, whicl 

 jointed, rifing about three feet high, which divides 

 uoward into many irregular branches, garaiflied with 

 oblong plain leaves placed oppofite, having a griftly 

 border, fet with Imall iilver hairs, and clofely em- 

 brace the ftalks with their bafe. The flowers are 

 produced at the end of the branches in dole umbels, 

 fictino- very clofe to the end of the branches \ thefe 

 are ftinnel-ihaped, having pretty long tubes cut at 

 the top into five parts, which fpread open ^ they are 

 of a fine fcarlet colour, and ftand ereft ^ the ufual 

 time of their flowering is July or Auguft. This is 

 propagated by cuttings during any of the fumnier 

 month's ; thefe fliould be cut off about a fortnight 

 before they are planted, and laid in a dry place that 

 the wounded part may heal over ^ then they fhould 

 be each planted in a fmall pot filled with light fandy 

 earth, and plunged into a moderate hot-bed, 

 them but little water. In about fix weeks thefe will 

 have put out roots and begin to grow, when they 

 Ihould have a large lliare of air admitted to them, and 



ivmo; 



mull be gradually inured to bear the open air, into 

 which they flaould be removed, placing them in a 



fliekered fituation, where they may remain till au- 1 .oppofite, which are clofely joined at their bafe, fo 



that the Ilalks run through them ; they are of a grayidi 



■ ' 



tumn ; when they muft be removed into a dry airy 

 glafs-cafe, where tliey may enjoy tlie fun as much as 

 poITible, and be fcreened from the v/et and cold. In 

 warm dry weather, during the fummer months while 

 they are abroad, thefe plants fhould be gently watered 

 two or'^'tftree times a week -, but in winter they fnould 



Thefe 



have very little water, left it rot their ftems. 

 plants require no artificial heat in winter, but 

 muft be fecured from froft and wet. 



they 



The fecond fort will rife with an upright ftalk ten or 

 twelve feet high, if it is not broken or injured, but it 

 requires fupport; for the ftalks being flender, and the 

 leaves very weighty, they are very fubje6t to break, 

 efpecially if they are expofed to the wind. The leaves 

 of this plant are about three inches long \ they are 

 hollowed on the upper fide, and have a convex ridge 

 on their lower, and are placed oppofite, furrounding 

 the ftalks with their bafe ; thele alternately crofs each 

 other; they are very thick^fucculent, and of a pale 

 green colour, ending in acute points ; at the top of 

 the ftalk the flowers are produced in large clufters -, 

 they are of a whitifh herbaceous colour, having fhort 

 tubes, which are cut into five parts at the brim, 

 ipreading open. The ftalk which fuftains the'flowers 

 is pretty thick and fucculent, generally turning firft 

 downward, and then upward again, almoft in the 

 form of a fyphon. .It flowers in Tulv, but doth not 

 produce feeds here. .This fort is propagated by cut- 

 tings in the fame manner 'as the firft, and the plants 

 require the fame treatment. > ;/ 

 The third fort rifes with a weak fucculent ftalk 



C ll A 



thefe are rough, placed oppofire, and c:r.biiice i\f: 

 ftalks with their bafe. T\\c dowers come ouz in fin:-ai- 

 ckifters at the end of the branches ; they ^^ fnrilk 

 and of an herbaceous colour, lb make 'no r!',;urc-, 

 they appear in June and July. This may be urou.i' 

 gated by cuttin^gs, which may be treated in die Jap.u: 

 manner as the fourth fort. 



The fixthfort never rifes with a ftalk, but d-:e leaves 

 come out dole to the ground, forming a fort of head ; 

 they are taper, fucculent, ending in points, and fre- 

 quently put out roots ; out of the center of thele 

 arife the flower-ftalk, which grow about fix inches 

 high, branching into two or three flioots upward, 

 each being terminated by clufters of grecniPa flowers, 

 v/hich make no great appearance. It fiov/ers in Mav ^ 

 and fometimes again in the latter part of fummen 

 This is propagated by taking off the heads, or fide 

 offsets, which Ihould be laid to dry three or four days 

 before they are planted •, then they m.ay be treated 

 in the fame manner as the other hardier forts before- 

 mentioned. 



The leventh fort hath been lately introduced to the 

 gardens in Flolland, from the Cape of Good Hope ; 

 it was fent me by Dr. Adrian Van Roven, late pro- 

 feflbr of botany at Leyden. This hath very flender 

 ftalks, which are full of joints, fo trail upon the 

 ground, unlefs they are fupported, clofely garniflied 

 ,with thick, fucculent, heart-fhaped leaves, placed 



about two feet 



hig 



h. 



a 



fendin 



ular 



g out many irre_ 

 branches, garniflied with oblong, oval, thick leaves, 

 plain on their upper fide, but convex below, of a 

 deep green ; their borders are fet with a few filvery 

 hairs. The ftalk which fupports the flowers rifes 

 from the top of the branches, and is from four to 

 fix inches long, putting out feveral fide branches, which 

 row ered ; thefe are terminated by large clufters of 

 nail greenifh flowers, which appear in June and July. 

 This is propagated by cuttings in the fame manner 

 as the two former, but being pretty hardy, fhould 

 not be fo tenderly treated ^ for if the cuttings of 

 this are planted in a border of light earth, they will 

 put out roots, and may afterward be takeg up and 

 potted, to be ftieltered in winter. 

 The fifth fort hath a very weak fucculent ftalk, which 

 rifes about a foot and a half high, dividing upward 

 into Imall branches, garniflied with thin rough leaves 

 which are flat, near two inches long, and a quarter 

 broad at their bafe, gradually narrowing to a point > 



colour; the ftalks are divided, and grow about eight 

 or nine inches long, and are terminated by clufters of 

 fmall white flowers, fitting very clofe to the top of the 

 ftalks ; thefe appear in the fpring, and alfo again in 

 the latter part of llimmer. It is propagated by cut- 

 tings in the fame manner as the other hardier forts, 

 and may be treated in the fame way. 

 The eighth fort was fent me from Leyden, by the 

 gentleman before-mentioned ; this rifes with a flirubby 

 ftalk four or five feet high, dividing into many 

 branches, which at firft are taper and fucculent, but 

 by age becomes ligneous ^ they are garnifned with 

 very flender, taper, Iiicculent leaves, which are near 

 three inches long, and are flaccid, generally turning 

 downward, efpecialiy in winter, when they are in the 

 houfe; but as it hath not as yet flowered here, I can 

 give no further defcription of it. This is equally hardy 

 with the former forts, and takes eafily from cuttings, 

 fo may be treated in the fame way as the former. 

 The ninth fort is a low plant, with tiie appearance of 

 Houfleek, having open fpreading heads very like 

 thofe of fome forts of Houfleek, which grow on the 

 ends of very flender trailing ftalks, which are pro- 

 duced in plenty on every iide the parent plant, in like 

 manner as the childing Marigold. The flower-ftalks 

 arife from the center of thefe heads, which are naked, 

 about four inches long, and are terminated by clofe 

 clufters of herbaceous fiowers, which appear in dif- 

 ferent feafons of the year. This plant propagates 

 very faft by th? fide heads, which come out from the 

 parent plant, which frequently put out roots as they 

 trail on the ground, fo may be taken off and pottedj 

 during any' of the fammer months •, this is equally 

 hardy with the former forts, fo the plants may be 

 treated in the fame way. 



The tenth fort hath very flender, trailing, fucculent 

 ftalks, of a reddifli colour, which put out roots at the 

 joints as they lie upon the ground. The ftalks and 

 leaves of this fort have the appearance of Purflane, 

 but trail upon the ground like Chickweed. The flow- 

 ers are produced in fmall clufters at the end of the 

 branches ^ thefe are white, with a blulh of purple at 

 their brim ; they appear in fummer at different times, 

 and are often fucceded by feeds, which grow eafily. 

 This ibrt is eafily propagated by its trailing branches, 

 and the plants require the fame treatment as die other 

 hardy forts^ but unlefs they are often renewed will 

 decay. 



The eleventh fort rifes Vith a very thick, ftrong, fuccu- 

 lent ftalk to the height of three or four feet, fending out 



6 branches 



