o 



u 



but p.s they grow old become drier, of a cougli con- 

 texture, and have ligneous fibre:. The flowers come 

 out on the upper edges of the braqches, generally, 

 though romeiimes they are produced on their fides •, 

 thefc fi'i upon the embryo of their fruit, and are 

 conipofed of feveral roundiili concave petals, which 

 fpread open; they are of a pale yellow colour, and 

 within arife a great number of ftamina, faftened to 



.the embryo of the fruit, which arc terminated by ob- 

 long fummitSj and in the center is fituated the ftyle, 

 crowned by a many-pointed ftigma •, after the flowers 



.'are paft, the embryo fwells to an oblong fruit, whofe 



/.fkin, or cover, is'fet with fmall fpines in clufters, 

 and the infideisflefhy, of a purple, or red colour, in 

 which are lodged many black feeds. This plant flow- 



'. crs here in July and Augufl:, but unlefs the feafon is 

 very v/arm, the fruit will not ripen in England. 

 I received fome branches of this fort from Mr. Peter 

 CoUinfon, F. R. S.who aflTured me they, were fent 

 him from Newfoundland, where the plants grow 

 naturally, which is much farther to. the north than it 

 v^^as before known to grow •, and how it endures the 

 cold of that country is inconceivable, for though the 

 plants will live abroad in England, in a warm fitua- 

 tlon and a di'y foil, yet, in fevere winters, they are 

 generally deftroycd, if they are not protected from 

 the froil. 



The fecond fort hath oblong, oval, comprefl^ed 

 branches, which grow more eret5l than thofe of the 

 firft, armed with long briftly fpines, which come out 



, in clufters from a point on each of the comprefl^ed 

 fideSj fpreading open like the rays of a ftar. The 

 flowers grow upon the embryo of the fruit, which 

 come out from tlie upper edges of the leaves like the 

 firll, but are larger, and of a brighter yellow colour. 

 The fruit is alfo larger, and of a deeper purple gp- 

 lour, the outer fkin is alfo armed with longer fpines ; 

 this is the mofl: common fort in Jamaica, and upon 

 the fruit of this the wild fort of cochineal feeds,^hich 



. is called Sylveller. I had fome of the plants fent me 

 \vith ^he live infefts upon them from Jamaica, by the 

 '^■'-r late Dr, Houftoun* who was writing a hiftory of thefe 

 . * infefts, at the time when he was taken ill and died ; 

 ,; thefe infefts kept alive upon the plants here for three 

 or four months, but afterward periflied. If the fruit 

 bf this plant is eaten, it will dye the urine of a bloody 

 colour. 



- - £' 



i 



-VI 



•* t/ 



4 ,-'*' -> '. ■ 



"t 



. ^ 



■.' 





■-.-r ^^- 



-t-'\The third fort hath ftroneer branches than the fecond, 



:\ jvhich are ' armed with larger thorns, of an awl- 



fliape ; they are whitifh, and come out in clufters like 



thofe. of the other fort. The flowers are large, of a 



. : bright yellow colour, and the fruit is Ihaped like that 



of the Iccond fort. 



r I 



' ■ The fourth fort grows taller than either of the for- 

 - vVriier ; the branches are larger, thicker, and of adeep- 

 .^er '|gfee][i,,and, are armed with ftrong black fpines, 

 :r^ which come out in clu|lers like thofe of the other 

 V-;?, forts, but the clufters are farther afunder.,- The flow- 



. .. ers are produced from the upper edges of the branchesj 

 they are fmaller than tKofe of the other forts*, and are 



of a purplifti colour, as are ^ alfo the iiamina ; the 





r- * fruit is of the fame form as thofe of the^ firff, but do 



- .-:-; do not ripen here.'^ 



CPU 



ftanding upon the embryo of the fruit, in tLe faai 



-h 





am -^-i 





4 



n;.-The fifth fort is tlie largeft of all the forts yet known. 

 pv ...The lomts of thele are more than a foot lone, and 

 — r 1 €\m\t inches broad ; 



and 



i. 



Vi 



are very thick, of a deep 

 with "^ ^ ^ 



coming to any pcrfcftion here ^ this fort is cultivated 

 in the fields of New Spain, for the increafc of the in- 

 fers, but it grows naturally in Jamaica, where it is 

 probable the true cochineal might be difcovercd if 

 perfons of (kill were to fearch after the infcft^,; 

 The feventh fort is faid to grow' naturally at Curaf- 

 fao; this hath cylindrical hvelling joints,' which arc 

 clofdy armed with flcnder white fpines. The branches 

 fpread out on every fide, and where they have na 

 fupport, fall to the ground, very often feparating at 

 the joints from the plants, and as they lie upon the 

 ground, put out roots, fo forn^ new plants ; this 

 fort very rarely produces flowers in England. In thi 

 Weft-Indies it is called Pinpiilow, from the appear- 

 ance which the branches have to a pin-cufiv^on truck 

 full of pins. 



The eighth fort was fent me from Jamaica by the 

 late Dr. Houftoun, who found it growing naturally 

 there in great plenty, but could never obfcrve cither 

 fruit or flower upon any of the plants, nor have any 

 of them produced either in England. The branches 

 of this fort have much longer joints than any of the 

 other ; they are narrower, and more comprcffcd. 

 The fpines of this are very long, flcnder, and of a 

 yellowifli brown colour, coming out in clufters all 

 over the furface of the branches, crolTing each other, 

 fo as to render it dangerous to handle ; for upon beino- 

 touched, the fpines adhere to the hand and quit the ' 

 branches, and penetrate into the flefli, fo become very 

 troublefome. 



The ninth fort grows naturally in the Brafils ; this 

 hath very thin branches, which are indented regularly 



... pn^eir edges, like Spleenwort-, they are of a light 

 \grecn, and Ihaped like a broad fword^ thefe "are 



; fmooth, having no fpines. The flowers come out 



'-from the fide, and ait the cfid of the branches, fit- 

 ting on the embryos in the fame v/ay as the other 

 Ibrts ; they are of a pale yellow colour,- The fruit 

 is fliaped like thofe of the firft fort, but rarely ripen 

 in Eno;Iand, = '. 



^ All thefe forts (except the firft) are too tender to 

 thrivp in the open air in England ^ nor can mahy of 



■ them be preferved through the winter here, unkfs 

 they have artificial heat; for when they are placed in 

 a green-houfe, they turn to a pale yellow colour, their 

 branches ftirink, and frequently rot on the firft ap- 

 proach of warm weather in the'fpnng. 

 Thefe plants may be all propagated by cutting olf 

 their branches at the ioints* durino* any of the fum- 

 mer months, wnich mould be laid in a warm dry .. 

 place for a fortnight, that the wounded part may be 

 healed over, otherwife they will rot with the moifture 

 ; . which they imbibe at that part, as is the. ^afeyvith 



,'_,mofl;, other fucculcnt plants. The foil ]n which thefe 

 plants muft be planted, ftiould be compofed after the 



manner, viz. one third of light frein earth 

 from a pafture^^ a third part' fea fand, and the other 

 part fliould be one half rotten tan,' and the other half 

 lime rubbifli r thefe fho^^ be well mixed, and. laid 

 in a heap three or four ifionths before it is ufed, ob- 



— ■ 



■■- # 





V 



- 1 



green colour, ana armed wjtn a lev^ fiiort briftly 

 ita'fpip.^s; t^iepWer branches of^this'bften become al- ] 

 n-:^-nioft taper, and are very fl^rong.^,. The flowers of this 

 .;:s;.^fort I have nevtr yet feen : for although I have had 



.A. ,^ many of the plants more than ten feet hioh, none of 

 xthem has produced any flowers. -^*., i- •^^ ^ • ^ 





jj^-The fixth fort has been always fuppofed to be the 

 ^^.r:plant; japon which the. cochineail infefts feed ; this 



• ■ -a"^ h^,t"i^.^^^^ fmooth, gr^en branches, >yhich grow 

 : ereS:, and rife to the height of eight or ten {gqi^ hav- 

 ,, ingTcarce any fpines on them and thofe few which 



• • ■ 



I, 



be difcerned at a diftance, and are fo 

 foft as not to "^be 'troublefome when handled.' ^]The 



U ferving to turn it over at leaft once a month, that in 

 . feveral parts maybe well united; then^ou Inouia 

 ., pafs it through a rough fcreen, in order 'to feparafe 

 .. the largeft' ftones" and clods, but by no nieans fitt it 

 -; .^ too fine, which is a yery common fault; then you 

 ;'. Ihpuld referv,e fome qf tte fmaller {tones and rubbifh 



to lay at the bottom, of the pots, in order to keep an 



open paflage for the moifture to dram ort ; wiiicn i^ 

 :- what muft be obferve'd for all "fucculent plants, for if 



tHe moifture be'detafned in the pots, it will, rot their 

 ■ roots and deftroy the plants. ^ 



When you plant any of the brandies of thefe pi^nts 



- (except the firft fort) you fliould plunge the pots into 



", a moderate 'hot-bed, which will greatly fiiciiitate, their 



■ taking root J you fhoiild alfo refrelli them ncv/'ana 



ti 



flowers oUlus fort are fmall, and of a purple colour, '.../ tHen with a little water, but be very careful not to let 



*^ 



