F E R 



fuccccdcJ by large, oval, comprefTcd feeds, like tliofe 

 of the firft fort. This flowers and ripens its feeds 

 about the fame time as the former fort ^ it grows na- 

 turally in Spain and Barbary. 



l1\e fourth fort grows to much the fame height as the 

 fecond •, the leaves of this branch out on every fide 



• pretty wide, and the fmaller leaves on the divifions 

 of the leaves, are broader than thofe of the others 

 (excepting the third) but they are longer than thofe, 



• and are of a darker green colour, ending in three 

 points. The umbels of flowers are large, the flowers 

 are yellow, and are fucceeded by oval compreiTed 



'-feeds, like thofe of the other fpecies. This grows 



naturally in Sicily. 

 ■^The fifth fort is of much humbler growth than either 



• of the former; the ftalks of this feldom rife much 

 more than three feet high -, the lower leaves branch 

 into many divifions, which are clofely garnifhed with 

 very fine briftly leaves •, the umbel of flowers is but 

 fmall, when compared with the others, and the feeds 

 are fmallef. It f>;rows naturally in the Levant. 

 The fixth fort ha'th very branching leaves, the foot- 

 ftalks are angular and channelled ; this fends out at 

 every joint two fide branches oppofite ; thofe toward 

 the bottom are nine or ten inches long, and the others 



• are diminifhed gradually to the top; thefe fide 

 branches fend out fmaller at each joint in the fame 

 manner, which are garniflied with very fine leaves 



^' like thofe of Spignel, which ftand quite round the 



■ - ftalks in fhape of whorls ; the flower-ftalks grow three 



feet high, having a pretty large umbel of yellow 

 flowers at the top ; thefe are fucceeded by oval flat 

 feeds, which ripen in the autumn. It grows naturally 

 in the Levant. ; ■: \v- • ; ; v^' - • '-^^ 



The feventh fort rifes about three feet high-, the 



- leaves of this fort are much divided, and the fmall 

 leaves on the divifions are very narirow and entire -, 



^ the umbels of flowers are fmall," and arc fituated clofe 

 . to the ftalks between the leaves at the joints; thefe 

 A are' like t!iofe of the other forts. It "grows* naturally 

 -Mh Iftria and C^hfola. ■'^^'-ib.^ii^ H .- :- ' ' _ ; 

 v*The eighth fort grows naturally in Italy and Sicily. 

 -■^ The leaves of this are compofed of many narrow flat 



- fegments, of a gray dolour, and are divided into 



■ many parts: the ftalk rifes from three to four feet 

 '- high, and is terminated by an vimbel of yellow flow- 

 ers in July, which are fucceeded by oval comprefled 

 feeds which ripen in autumn. 



All thefe forts have perennial roots, which will con- 

 tinue feveral years; thefe have thick ftrong fibres, 

 which run deep in the ground, and divide into many 

 fmaller, fpreading to a confiderable diftance every 

 way : the ftalks are annual, and decay foon after 

 they have perfected their feeds. As thefe plants fpread 

 very wide, fo they fliould have each four or five feet 

 room ; nor ftiould they ftand near to other plants, for 

 their roots will rob whatever plants grow near thern of 

 their nourifliment. . " 



They are all propagated by feeds, which ftiould be 

 fown in the autumn ; for if they are kept out of the 



I ground till the fpring, they frequently fail, and thofe 

 which fucceed remain a year in the ground, fo that 

 much time is loft. The feeds may be fown in drills, 

 by which method the ground may be eafier kept 

 clean ; they muft not be nearer than a foot row from 



F I c 



The Characters arc, 



It hath t'-juo kecUp.epcdffath^ {cr foe ails) -jchiih alur 

 natdy indofe the f ewers, Kvbich have fx cbhng p^i^l j 

 fetals curled at their borders^ revching, and arc oh 

 natdy larger ; and three ftamuia fitting on thcftyk tr 

 minatcd by twin ramdijh fumnnts ; aiid a rcundifi i/J. 

 cornered gcnnen under the fiower^ f if porting a fmti 

 ere^ ftigma^ cro'wned by three bifida hooded^ curled fth 

 ma ; the germcn after^^crd beccmes an oblong tbree-c^ 

 nered capfule^ having three cells, filled ivith roundil 

 feeds, , '' 



This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fcftion 

 ofLinn^us's twentieth clals, intitled Gynandria tri 

 andria, the flower having three ftamina which fir 

 upon the ftyle. '" 

 The Species are, 



1. Ferraria (I7wi;z/i3/j) foliis lanceolatis. Burm. Icon 

 Ferr aria with fpear-foaped leaves. Iris ftellata, Cycla- 

 minis radice, pullo flore. Barrel. Icon. 121 6. Stam 

 Iris with a root like the Sowbread, 



2. Ferraria {Enfitformi) foliis enfiformibus. Burm. Icon 

 Ferraria with fword-fhaped leaves. 



Thefe plants grow naturally at the Cape of Good 

 Hope ; the roots of the firft fort were fent me by 

 Dr. Job Barter, of Zirkzee, who received them from 

 the Cape. The root of this is fliaped hke that of 

 the Bizantine Cornflag ; it has a bright brown Ikin 

 or cover ; on the upper fide is a hollow like a navel 

 from whence the flower-ftalk arifes. The ftalk rifes 

 a foot and a half high, and is about the fize of a 

 man's middle finger, garniflied with leaves the whole 

 length; thefe are keel-fliaped, embracing the ftalks' 

 with their bafe. The upper part of the ftalk divides 

 into two or' three branches, which are garniflied 

 with the fame ftiaped leaves, but they are fmaller; 

 each of the branches are terminated by a large fpa- 

 thse or fiieath of the fame colour with the leaves, ■ 

 but this afterward withers and decays -, thefe fheaths" 

 are double, and fplit at the top,' where the flower 

 peeps out its petals ; thefe fix petals are three alter- 

 nately larger than the other, and are curioufly fringed 

 on their borders ; they are of a pale greenifli colour 

 on their outfide, but of a tawney purple within, and 

 are of a fhort duration ; in the centre of the flower 

 is fituated the ftyle, having the three ftamina fixed 

 on the fide, and is terminated by twin ftigmas ; the 

 germen is fituated under the flower, which after- 

 ward becomes an oblong fmooth capfule with three 

 cells, filled with roundifli feeds. ;-. .. 



The fecond fort is rare in England ; this differs from 

 the former in having fmaller roots, and longer fword- 

 fliaped leaves, which have deeper veins ; the ftalk 

 alfo does not divide fo much, and the flowers are 

 fmaller, and lefs fringed on their borders. 

 They are both progagated by offsets fent out from 

 the roots, in the fame way as the Ixia, and ftiould 

 be cultivated in the fame manner as is direfted for 

 thofe and the African Gladiolus, being too tender 

 to thrive in the open air in England, nor do they fuc- 

 ceed well in a green-houfe ; therefore the beft me- 

 thod is, to make a border four feet wide, either in 

 the front of the green-houfe or ftoves, covering it 

 with a proper frame and glafles, fo that the plants 

 may enjoy the free air in mild weather, but be pro- 

 tefted from froft. In fuch a frame, moft of die Afri- 



row, and the feeds may be fcattered two or three I can bulbous and tuberous rooted plants may be 



inches afunder in the drills ; when the plants come up, 

 they muft be kept clean from weeds; and where they 

 are too clofe together, they fliould be thinned, to allow 



brought to great perfeftion. 



There is a great Angularity in the root of the fint 



fpecies, which is in its vegetating only every other 



them room to grow, for they will not be ftrong enough , year,' and the intermediate years it remains at reft. 



to remove till they have had two years growth ; then 

 in the autumn fo foon as their leaves decay, the roots 

 fhould be taken up with great care, fo as not to cut or 

 injure the tap or downright root, and then planted in 

 - the places where they are defigned to remain, for after 

 this tranfplanting they fhould not be removed. They 

 delight in a foft, gentle, loamy foil, not too wet, and 

 are very rarely injured by the hardeft froft. 

 FERRARIA. Burman. Lin. Gen. loiS. 



F I C O I D E S. See Mesemeryanthemum. 

 FICUS. Lin. Gen. Plant. 1032. Tourn. Inft R H- . 

 662. tab. 420. The Fig-tree ; in French, Figuicr^ 



The Characters arc, 

 // hath male ^ female flowers^ which are included 

 within the coverings or fiin of the fruit, fo do not apf^cct 

 unlefs the covering is opened ; the male flowers are hutf^ 



fiituated in the upper part of the fruit \ 



I , 



female flowers are numerous^ and fituated 



par 



z 



