H 



The firfl and fccond forts arc both very common 



rlaiVts, growing in the fields in moft parts of 

 England i the firfl is ufcd in medicine, but the fe- 

 cond is of no ufe : thefe are rarely propagated iri gar- 

 clens, but I chufe to niention them, in order to in- 

 troduce the other forts, which dcfcrve a place in 

 every good garden. ; T ;■■ , . '.^ ^ 



The firll fort hath a perennial root, from which'^arife 

 feveral round ftalks a foot 'and a half high, dividing 

 into many fmall branches^ yhich are garniihed at 



^ each joint with tvvo fmall oblong leaves, Iflandlhg 

 oppcfite, v/;t1iout foot-ftalks ; the branches alfo come 



"out oppofite.' The leaves have many pellucid fpots in 



' 'them, which appear like fo many holes v/hen held^up 

 againll tlie liglu. The flo^yers are numeirous on the 



'tops of the branches, ftanding^on flender foot-ftalks; 



"they are compbfed of five oval petals, of a^yellow co- 

 lour, "with' a" great number of ftamina, not quite fo 

 long as the petals, terminated by roundifh fummits. 

 In the center is fituated a roundilh gcrnien, {uppofdng 

 three ftyles, crowned by fingle ftigmasV The germen 



.afterward becomes' ah oblong angular capfule, with 

 three cells, filled with fmall brown feeds. It Bowers 

 in June and July, and the feeds ripen in autumn. 



. The root is perennial, fo will continue many years i 



'and if the"" feeds are permitted' to fcatter, the plants 

 will come up in too 'great plenty, fo as to be very 

 troublefome weeds. The leaves and flowers of this 



I 



H Y 



before they begin to. Ihcot ; they fhould be planted in 

 a light dry foil, in which they will endure the fevereft 

 cold of cur climate' very well. They may alfo be pro- 

 paglted by cuttuVgsf;- which fliould be planted at the 

 fame ICafon ; or by feeds, which muft be fown in Au- 

 gull or September, which is as foon as they are ripe- 

 for if rhey" are kept till fpring, few* of them willgro^v* 

 buta's theymukiplyfo faU: bykickers,theothermethods 

 of propagating them are feldom prdftifed in Eneland 

 ■The fifth fort grows naturally on Mount Oiympus' 

 ■ where it was difcovered by Sir George Wheeler who 



^ Tent the feeds to the Oxford garden ;■ this rifes with 



many upright ligneous ftalks about a foot hioh ear- 



'niihed with fmall fpear-lhaped leaves, fitting^clofe to 



the ftalks oppofitev'- The flowers are produced at the 



■ ; the top of the ftalks, three or four together ; they are 

 compofed of five oblong petals* of a bright yellow 

 colour^ with a great number of ftamina, which are 



\ 



are uled in medicine ; it is efteemed an excellent vul- 

 ,,t.nc1*ary'pIant7'ahd'of great fcrvice in wounds, bruifes, 

 ^^' and contufioris : there is a compound oil made^trom 

 this plant, which is of great ufs in the foregoing ac- 

 cidents. From the ftamina of the flower is exprefted 

 a red juice, which is fometimes ufed in colouring, 

 but ftides very foon. • -^ v..^ ■ - --^^-.vv^^^.. 



»". i 



The fecond fort hath fquare ftalks, which rife about 



" the fame height with the firft, but do not fc'fanch fo 



./ much. The leaves are Hiorter and broader than thofe 



. ' of the firfl;, "and have no pellucid fpot^- ^ The,flp\yers 



^ fit upon fhort foot-ftalks at the end of the branches, 



i' which are fliaped like thofe of the other. This flowers 



and feeds at the fame time with the other, and will pro- 



■'- pagate in as^great plenty if the feeds are permitted to 



': Icatter, . - ---^ ■ ?■ ■..-.: :^-'^"^^->^' .^-..-...-.w .- . _ 



.^u The third fort grows naturally in Sicily, Spain, and 



^7P^^^g^l> ^h's rifes with flirubby ftalks about tliree 

 Teet high, fending "but fmall brahcheV ar each joint 

 oppofite, which are garniftied vi^ith oblong oval leaves, 

 placed by pairs, fitting clofe to the ftalks^ which 

 have a rank fmell like a goat, ' The flowers are pro- 

 duced in clufters at the end of the branches -, they 

 , are compofed of five oval yellow petals, with a great 



of unequal lengths, fome being longer, and others 

 fliorter than the petals, terminated by fmall roundifh 

 /fumniits. In the cenFer is fituated an oval o-ermen 

 fupporting three flender ftyles, which are longer than 

 ' the ftamina. The germen afterward becomes an oval 

 capfule with three cells, filled with finall feeds... This 

 flowers in July and Auguft, and in warm feafons ripens 

 its feeds in autumn. " ■ • y ... . 



This plant is ufually propagated by parting of die 



roots, becaufe the feeds feldom ripen in this country ; 



'the beft time for doing of this is in September, that 



"the plants may have time tb get root before winter; 



■ this will live in the open air, if it is planted in a warm 



. .fjtuation and a dry foil, but it will be proper to keep 



a plant or two inkpots, to be fliekered under a frame 



- ' in winter, left in very fevere v/inters, thofe in the open 



.■^'|iir fhould be deftroycd. If this is propagated by feeds, 



^> they fliould be fown foon after they are ripe, in pots 



'^filled with light eartfi, and placed under a frame in 



';the winter, to flielter^ tKeni from froft,' and in the 



J fpring the plants wiU app^f j when thefe are fit to 



; rem9ye, fome^of them may be planted in a warm bor- 



.'•"der, and otliers in'pots, and "treated in the fame way 



the'bld plahtsV - --^^ v'-ts*: j?- ti^iV;- r^-^:\. 



■p 



as 



■ The fixth fort rifes" with a fhrubby ftalk feven or 



''eight feet high, with a reddifti bark, and fends lout 



many fmaller branches, garniftied with oval hcart- 



' fiiaped leaves, whofe bale fits clofe to the ftalks; 



'"they are placed oppofite. The flowers are prodbccd 



at the end of the ftalks in clufters ; they are fmaller 



^■than thofe of the third fort, and have obtufe cm- ' 



-V 



number of ftamina which are longer than the petals, I . ing three, cells, filled with fmall feeds. 



The ftamina are longer than the petals, 

 and are of a deeper colour. The flowers are fucceed- 

 ed by coiiical capfules of a purplifli red colour,' hav- 



It flowers in 



three ftyles which are longer than the ftamina. 

 '' The gefhieh which fupports thefe, afterward becomes 

 *■ an" oval capfule with three cells, filled with ftnall 



feeds. * It flowers in June, July, and Auguft, and the 



feeds ripen in autumn. 



•'•'■'♦ 



The fourth fort grows naturally in the Canary Iflands, 



/ fo was fornierly preierved in green-houfes during the 



] ., Winter feafon, but is found to be hardy enough to re-" 



".' lift the ereateft cold of this country, fo is now culti- 



' vated in the nurfenes as a flowering Ihrubj this rifes 



^_ with a fhrubby Tlalk fix or Teven feet high;^ 'dividing 



j' into branches upward, which are' garnifhed with ob- 





*\ 



^'_^' long leaves, (tt by pairs clofe to the branches. ' The 



\"*. leaves of this have alfo a ftrong odour, but not quite 



' fo bad as the former. The flowers are produced at 



^^ > the end of the ftalks in clufters,' and are very like 



..v. thofe of the former fort, having a great number of l ftamina. 



May, June, and July, and the feeds ripen in autumn. 

 ■ This is now propagated in the nurfcries as a flowering 



ftirub, and may be treated in the fanie way as'thc 

 ' third and fourth forts. ■ '-^ :'r /^ ^^ :. ■ 



The feventh fort was firft brought to England from 

 : Conftantinople, but has long been very common in 



the Englifti gardens, for the roots fpread and in- 

 * "very faft, where it is permitted to ftand long* 

 -'unremoved. * The ftalks of this are flender, and in- 

 • cline downward ; they are garniflied with oval, fpear- 

 ; fh'aped, fmooth leaves, placed by pairs, fitting clofe to 



the ftalks.' The flowers are produced at Ine end of 



the ftalks ; thefe are very large, and of a bright yel- 

 . low colour, with a great number of ftamina, which 



ftamina which 



are longer than the 



petals ; this 



, flowers at the fame time with the former, and perfeds 



.. its feeds in' autumn. Both thefe plants have a very 



.., ' ftrong odour like that of a goat ; fo that where the 



i'„ plants grow in large quantities, the fcent is carried by 



, the wind to a great diicance ^ or if the leaves are 



' hand ed, they emit the fame odour. 



Thefe two forts are propagated by fuckers, which are 



plentifully fent forth' from the old plants. The beft 



' levilbii for taking off the fuckers 'is in March, juft 



3 



ftand out beyond the petals ; there are five ftyles m 

 ^ each flower, which are of the fame length with the 



The flowers are fucceeded by pyramida 

 ' feed-veflTels with five cells, containing many fmall 

 ' feeds. It flowers in June and July. ' ^ 



• This plant is eafily propagated by parting of the 

 rooti the beft" time for this is in Odober, that the 

 pidnts'may be well eftabliflied before the drought oi 



• Ipr'ing, otherwife they will not produce many flowers. 

 As this will grow under trees, fo it is a very prop^^r" 

 plant to place under fiirubs and trees to cover tne 

 ground, where they will make a good appearance 

 curirg the feafon of their flowering. , 



