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fcveral fmalkr branches, garnifhed with narrow fpeor- 

 fhaped kaveSj about two inches long and a quarter 

 of an inch broad, of a lucid green on their upper fide, 

 but of a rulTet brown on their under, v/here they are 

 clofely armed with flinging briftles, which faftcn 

 themi'elves into the fiePn or clothes of thofe who touch 

 them i thcfe leaves arc placed oppofite. The flowers 

 are produced from the fide and at the end of the 

 branches in fmall umbels -, they are of a pale purple 

 colour, of the fame form of the other fpecies, but 

 fmalleri and are fucceeded by fmall, oval, furrowed 

 fruit, of a dark purple colour when ripe. 

 The eighth fort was fent me from the ifland Berbuda 

 in the "Weft-Indies, wliere it grows naturally. This 

 rifes with a ft^rong' woody ftcmfrocn fifteen to twenty 

 feet high, dividing into many fpreading branches, 

 covered with a gray bark, garniflied with oblong oval 

 leaves of a firm confidence ; they are about an inch 

 Ions, and half an inch broad, rounded at their ends, 

 of a lucid green, and placed oppofite. ' The flowers 

 come out from the fide, and alfo at the end of the 

 branches, upon pretty long foot-ftalks, which branch 

 in form of a racemus, or long bunch. They are of 

 the fame form with thofe of the other fpecies, but va- 

 ry in their colour, fome of them being of a bright 

 red, and others of an Orange colour in the fame 

 bunch; thefe are fucceeded by fmall oval berries, 

 which are lefs furrowed than thofe of the other 

 fpecies, and, when ripe, change to a dark purple 



colour. . 



The ninth fort grows naturally in the ifland of Cuba, 



where the late Dr. Houfl:oun found it in plenty. This 



rifes. with a {hrubby ftalk to the height of Jeven or 



eight feet, fending out branches the whole length, 



which are covered with a gray bark, garniflied with 



. narrow prickly leaves like thofe of the Holly, which 



have many {tinging briftles on their under fide. The 



flowers are produced in fmall clufters from the fide 



; of the branches, they are of a pale blufli colour, and 



[;ihaped like thofe of the other fpecies, but fmaller; 



.the fruit is moi'e pointed than thofe of the common 



fort, and turns to a dark purple colour when ripe. 



•The^ tenth fort grows naturally near the Havanna, 



,from whence the late Dr. Houftoun fent the feeds. 



■ This is a very low flirub, feldom rifing more than two 



. or three feet high ; the ftalk is thick and woody, as 



. are alfo the branches, which come our on every fide 



from the root upward; they are covered with a 



rough gray bark, garniflaed with lucid leaves half an 



, inch long, and almoft as much broad ; they appear 



. as if cut at their ends, where they are hollowed in, 



^ and the two corners rife like horns ending in a fliarp 



..thorn, as do alfo the indentures on the fides: :;The 



flowers come out from the fide of the Vrariches, 



\ upon foot-ftalks an inch long, each fqftgining one 



, fmall pale.blufli flower, of the fame form with thofe 



L of the other fpecies; t^ie ](ruit is fmall, conical, 



.and furrowed, changing: to a purple red colour 



.\vhen ripe. .. , - i : h^^^^^/?..- [ \-:\.. ., 



^Xhereire t,wo other fpecies of^his genus, which have 



been lately introduced from America, but as neither 



..of them have yet flowered here, fo I have riot ehu- 



derated them; and if thofe warm parts of "America 



vi^erp fearched by perfons of flcill, there might be ma- 



. ny more fpecies difcQycred ; for from a large number 



of imperfeft fpecimens which were fent me frgm the 



,Spani(h Weft:^Indies, I have feledted many which have 



Jhe appearance of the other fpecies of this genus, but 



as they are without flowers or fruit, they cannot be 



afcertained. -; . :, ■> ^ 



: The fruit of feveral of the fpecies here mentioned, 



are promifcuoufly gathered and eaten by the inhabi- 



.tants of the countries where they naturally grow; but 



the firfl; fort is cukivated in fome of the iflands for 



Its fruit, though that is but indifferent: the pulp 



^vhich furrounds the fl:ones is very thin, but has a 



plcafant acid flavour, which renders it agreeable to 



the inhabitants of thofe warm countries, where, to 



fupply the Want of thofe Cherries which are culti- 



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of the other. 



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vated in Europe, they are obliged to eat the fruit of 

 thefe flirubs. 



Thefe plants are preferved in tlie gardens of thofe 

 perfons who are fo curious in botanical ftudics, as to 

 erecl hot-houfes for maintaining foreign plants : and 

 where there are fuch conveniencies, thefe plants de- 

 ferve a place ; becaufe they retain their leaves all the 

 year, and commonly continue flowering from Decem- 

 ber to the end of March, when they make a fine ap- 

 pearance at a k-d\on, when there is a fcarcity of other 

 llov/ers, and many times they produce ripe fruit here. 

 Thofe forts whofe leaves are armed with ftin-^inf*- 

 briftles, like the Cowatch, are the leaft worthy of a 

 place in ftoves, becaufe they arc fo troublefome to 

 handle, nor do tlieir flov/ers make fo good an appear- 

 ance as many of the other forts. The tenth fort is the 

 mofl: valuable for its flowers, which are produced in 

 larger bunches than thofe of any 

 and there being flov/ers of different colours in the 

 fame bunches, they make. a fine variety; and this 

 fort grows ir.ore like a tree than the others, the 

 leaves are alfo of a fl:ronger confifl:ence and of a 

 lucid green. 



As thefe plants are natives of the warmcfl: parts of 

 America, they will not live through the winter in 

 England, unlefs they are preferved in a warm fl:ove; 

 . but when the plants have obtained flirength, they 

 'may be expofed in the open air in a warm fituation, 

 from the middle or latter end of June, till the begin- 

 ning of Ocflober, provided the weather continues fo 

 long mild ; and the plants fo treated, will flower 

 much better than thofe which are confl:antly kept in 



a fl:ove. 



They are all propagated by feeds, which muft be 

 fown upon a good hot-bed in the fpring ; and when 

 the plants are fit to tranfplant, they mufl: be each put 

 into a feparate fmall pot filled with rich earth, and 

 plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark, and muft; 

 be treated in the fame manner as hath been directed 

 for other tender plants of the fame country ; and for 

 the two firft winters, it will be proper to keep them 

 in the bark-bed in the ftove ; but afterward they may 

 be placed upon ftands in the dry ftove in winter, 

 where they may be kept in a temperate warmth, in 

 which they will thrive much better than in a greater 

 heat ; thefe muft be watered two or three times a 

 week, when they are placed in the dry ftove, but it ' 

 muft not be given to them in large quantities, 

 M A L T-D U S T is accounted a great enripher of bar- 

 ren ground ; it contains in it a natural heat and fweet- 

 nefs, which gives the earth whereon it is laid aproper 

 = fermentation, as thofe v/ho live Tn malting countries 

 ave found by experience;-- -^m^^^--^^.-. 

 ' - Some'are of opinion, that there is pot a greater fweet- 

 ' V enerjhan Malt-duft, where the grounds are natural 

 ' . clay^ and have contrafled a fournefs and auft'erity, 

 ' whether by reafon of its having lain long untilled and 

 unexpofed to the air, or by reafon of .T^/ater having 

 .■ ftood long; thereon. 

 MALVA. Tourn, Inft. R. H. 94. tab. 23. Lm. Gep. 



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Plant. 751. [fo called of fjcxXxyci^co, or fjcxxda-a-co^ to 



foften, becaufe it is good to foften the belly.] Mal- 

 , lows ; in French, Mauve. - [■■' 



...The Characters are, : .: * 



• - 'fbe fiower has a double^ empakment ; the cuter is com- , 

 . pofed of three fpcar-Jhaped leaves ^ and is permanent ; the 

 . inner is of one leaf cut into five hroad fegmenfs at the 

 *: Irirn. The flower is^ acc()rding toTournefcrt^ Ray\ Qfr. 

 of one petal ; but according toLinn^us^ it has five-, they are 

 joined at_ the bafe^ andfpread open^ and fall off joined. It has 

 a great number ofjlamina which coakfce at bottom in a cylin- 

 ders^ but fpread open above^ arid are inferted in the petals ter-- 

 minated by kidney-paped fummits. -In the center is fitu- 

 ■ ated an orbicular gcrmen fupporting a Jhort cylindrical 

 ftyky with many briftly ftigmas the length of the Jtyle, 

 'The empchmcnt afterward turns to feveral capfuks^ which 

 are joined tn an orbicular depreffed head fajimed to the 

 column^ opening oh their infide^ each containing one kid-' 



ny-fhaped feed. 



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