in the hDitcm of the flozver, fuppcrling a hngjlenlcr Jlyle, 

 cro^^iiedby a [mall trifid ftigma. I'he gmnm aflerivard 

 becomes an cval capfule 'ivith tfjree cells ^ each ccntainvig 



cne or tis:o oval feeds. 



This crenus of plants is ranged in the firft fcclion of 

 Linn:rus's lixth clafs, inticled Hexandria Monogynla, 

 the flower having fix ftamina and one ftyle. 

 The Species are, 



r. Crin'UM {Jfricanum) foliis fublanceolatis planis, co- 

 rollis obtufis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 292. Crimm with plain 

 Jpear-fhaped leaves^ and obtufe petals. Hyacinchus Af- 

 ricanus tuberofus, flore casruleo umbellato. Hort. 

 Amft. I. p. 133. African tuberous Hyacinth^ with a blue 

 umbellated fower. 



S. Crinum {Jfmticum) foliis carinatis. Flor. Zeyl. 127. 

 Crinum with keel-fhaped leaves. Lilfuni Zeylanicum, 

 bulbifernm &" umbelliferum. H. L. 682. 



g. C^mvu {Americanum) QOvoWdsnm apicibus introrfum 



unguiculatis. Lin. Sp. Tlant.' 292. Crinum ivith the 



tops of the petals formed on the infide like the nails of a 



.finger, Lilio-afphodelus Americantis fempervirens, 



niaximus Polyanthus albus. Com. Ran PL 15. tab. 



15 



(/^ 



natis feflilibus planis. Lin. Sp. 419. Crinum with oval^ 



fpear-fh 



Mai 



J 



The firft fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 

 Hope, from whence it was brought to the gardens in 

 Holland, and hath fince been fpread into moft of the 

 curious gardens in Europe. The root of this plant 

 is compofed of inany thick flefhy fibres, diverging 

 from the fame head^ which ftrike deep into the 

 ground, and put out many fmaller fibres, which are 

 white and flefhy; from the fame head arifcs aclufter 

 of leaves furrounding each other with their bafe, lb 

 as to form a kind of herbaceous ftalk, about three 

 inches high, from which the leaves fpread only two 

 ways, appearing flat the other two. The flower-ftalk 

 arifes by the fide of thefe leaves, which is round, 

 hollow, and near three feet high, terminated by 

 a large head of flowers, included in a kind of ilieath, 

 which fplits into two parts, and is reflexed. The 

 flowers ftand each upon a foot-ftalk about one inch 

 long ; they are tubulous, have but one petal, which 

 is cut almoft to the bottom, into fix oblong blunt 

 fcgments, which are wave^ on their edges-, in the 

 center is fituated an oval three-cornered germen, fup- 

 porting a long ftyle^ which is attended by fix fta- 



two 



\ 



and the two which reft upon the lower fegments are 

 the ftiorteft. The flowers are of a bright blue colour, 

 and grow in large umbels, fo make a fine appearance. 

 They begin to flower in September, and frequently 

 continue in beauty till fpring, which renders them 

 more valuable. . -. .. . 



This plant is propagated by offsets j which come out 

 from the fide of the old plants^ and may be taken off 

 the latter end of June, at which time thefe plants are 

 in their greateft ftate of refl j when the J)lants fhould 

 be turned out of the pots, and the earth carefully 

 cleared away from the roots, that the fibres of the 

 offsets may be better diftinguifhed, which fhould be 

 feparated from thofe of the old roots, being careful 

 not to break their heads. But where they adhere fo 

 clofely to the old plant, as not to be fo feparated, they 

 muft be cut off with a knife, taking great care not 

 to wound or break the roots of either the offsets or 

 the parent plant. When thefe are parted, they fhould 

 be planted each into a feparate pot, filled with light 

 kitchen-garden earth, and placed in a fhady fituation, 

 where they may enjoy the morning fun, giving them 

 a little water twice a week, if the weather proves 

 dry ; but they muft not have too much wet, efpeci- 

 ally at this feafon, when they are almoft inaftive 5 for 

 as the roots are flefliy and fucculent, they are apt to 

 rot with great moifture. In about five weeks time 

 the offsets will have put out new roots, when the pots 

 may be removed to a more funny fituation, and then 

 they may have a little more water, which will ftrengthcn 



Ihcir flo%yering, but it muft not be given them too li- 



berally for the reaibns b^^forc 



given. In September 



they will put out their flower-ftalks, and toward the 

 end of that month the flowers will hti:\\\ to open, 

 v;hen, if the weather ihould not be goOvf, they Ihould 

 be^removed under llielter, to prevent the flowers from 

 being injured by froft or too much wet •, but they 

 fhould have as much free air as poflible, otlierwile 

 the flowers will be pale-coloured and weak. Tov/ard 

 the end of Oftober they Ihould be removed into the 

 green-houfe, and placed where they may enjoy as 

 much free air as pofTible, and not be over-hung by 

 other plants; and during the winter, they may have 

 a little water once a week oroftener in mild v/eather, 

 but in froft they fliould be kept dry. Tills plant only 

 requires proteclion from froft and moifture, lb fhould 

 not htiveany artificial warmth in winter, and muft be 

 placed in the open air in fummer, 

 Tlie fecond fort hath large bulbous roots, which 

 fend out many large flefhy fibres, having bulbs formed 

 at their ends ; the leaves are near three feet long, 

 hollow on their vipp'er fide, and clofely fold over each 

 otiier at their bafe, fpreading out on every fide ; the 

 outer leaves generally turn downv/ard at the top ; 

 they are of a deep green, obtufe at their points, with 

 a ridge on their under fide. The flower-ftalk ariles 

 on one fide the leaves, which is thick, fucculent^ 

 hollow in the middle, and a little comprefTed on two 

 fides ; this grows two feet high or more, and is of 

 the fame colour with the leaves, and are terminated 

 by large umbels of flowers, with a fheath or cover^ 

 which fplits lengthwlys^ and reflexed back to the 

 ftalk, where it dries and remains ; the tubes of the 

 flowers are narrow, near four inches long, and the 

 upper part is deeply cut into fix long fegments, 

 which are reflexed back almoft to the tube ; in the 

 center arifes the ftyle, attended by fix long ftamina^ 

 which ftand out beyond the petal, and is terminated 

 by oblong proftrate fummits of a yellow colour- 

 After the flowers are paft, the germen, which is fi- 

 tuated at the bottom of the tube, becomes a large, 

 roundifh, three-cornered capfule, having three cells, 

 two of which are generally abortive, and the tliird 

 hath one or two irregular bulbs, which if planted 

 produce young plants. 



The third fort hath broader leaves than the fecond, 

 which are plain, and not hollowed on their upper 

 fide, but they are fhorter and of a fighter green ; thefe 

 embrace each other at their bafe ; by the fide of thefe 

 arife the flower-ftalk, which is comprefTed and hollow^ 

 rifing about two feet high, and terminated by large 

 vimbels of white flowers, like thofe of the former fort, 

 but the fegments of the petal are broader and not io 

 much reflexed. . . 



The fourth fort hath roots like thofe of the fecond 

 ' fort ; the leaves of this are narrower at their bafe^ 

 and are ftained with purple on their under fide ; the 

 flower-ftalks are purple, and grow to the fame height 

 as thofe of the fecond ; the flowers are in fhape like 

 them, but the tube is purple, and the fegments have 

 a purple ftripe running through them ; the ftamina 

 alfo are purple, which renders this more beautiful 

 than either of the other forts 5 and thefe differences 

 are conftant in all the plants which rife from feeds, 

 fo there can be no doubt of its being a diftinct fort. 

 Thefe three forts grow naturally in both Indies, (o 

 are very tender, therefore muft be kept in a warm, 

 ftove, ptherwife they will not thrive in England ; 

 they are eafily propagated by off'sets, which the roots 

 piit out in plenty; or by the bulbs which fucceed 

 the flowers, and ripen perfeftly here. Thefe muft be 

 planted in pots filled with rich earthy and if plunged 

 into the tan-bed in the ftove, the plants will make 

 greater progrefs and flower oftener, than wlicn they 

 are placed on fhelves ; though in the latter way they 

 will fuccecd very well, provided they are kept in a 

 good temperature of heat. The roots fhould be 

 tranfplantcd in the fpring, and all the offsets taken 

 off, otherwife they will fill the pots and ftarve the 

 old plants : they mufl be frequently rcfreftied with 



i 



4L 



water 



/ 



