o 



N 



O R N 



of the Cretan Dittany with that of Mount Sipylus \ permanent^ tmuVfW.ted by an cbtufe fti^ma, Tht 



for the [plants now in the Chelfca Garden were acci- 

 dentally produced from the feeds of one fpccies, where 

 t)Oth forts flood near each other in the garden of John 

 Browning, Efq; of Lincohi'sJnn ; the feeds were 

 dropped from the plani into the border between the 

 two forts, fo that it is uncertain from which fpecies \ 

 but as the ftalks and heads of liich flowers bear a 

 greater relcmbiancc to the Dittany of Mount Sipylus, 

 we may fuppofe it arofe from the feeds of that, which 

 had been impregnated by the farina of the Cretan 

 Dittany, which grew near it; for the under leaves of 

 this are round, of a thick texture and woolly, fo nearly 

 refembling thofe of the Cretan Dittany, as not to be 

 diftinguiflied from it ; but the Iblks rife full as high 

 as thole of the Dittany of Sipylus, but branch out 

 more their whole length ; they are of a purple colour 

 and hairy. The lower leaves on the ftalks are much 

 larger than thofe of Mount Sipylus, and are hairy, ap- 

 proaching to thofe of the Cretan Dittany, but are not 

 fo thick or woolly ; the upper leaves are fmooth, and 

 approach to thofe of the other fort, but are larger, as 

 are alfo the fpikes of flowers, and the fcaly leaves 

 which cover the flov/ers are larger and of a deeper 

 purple colour. 



I have alfo dried famples of another variety, v/hich 

 arofe from feeds in the Leyden Garden j the feeds were 

 fent from Paris, by the title which Tournefort gave to 

 that which he found in the Levant, which I have 

 joined to the variety before-mentioned. The leaves 

 of this are as large as thofe of the Dittany of Crete, 

 but are not fo thick or woolly ; the ftalks rife more 

 like thcfe of the Dittany of Mount Sipylus, but branch 

 out wider at the top ; the flowers grow in clofer cluf- 

 tcrs, and do not nod downward > they are fmall, and 

 fhaped like thofe of the former fort, flowering at the 

 fame time. 



gcrrr.cn 



Plant. 440 



"-jjers. 



\ 





By the title which Dr. Linnaeus has given to the 

 Cretan Dittany, it 'may be fuppofed he has not feen 

 the true fort, for his title better fuits the variety to 



afterward turns to a roundijh cngular capfiik loith three 

 cells^ fjled ivith rouudifi feeds. 



This genus of plants is ranged in the firfc fcction 

 of Linn<'t:us's fixth clafs, in which are contained thole 

 plants v/hofe flowers have fixftamina and one ftvlc 

 The Sfeciis are, 



1. Ornithogalum {Pyrenaiam) racemo lonciiT^i^.Q 

 filamentis.lanceolatis, pedunculis floriferis pat'entibus 

 sequahbus, fruftiferis fcapo approximatis. Lin. Sp 



. Star-fo^jjer -jjith a very long fpike of flowers 

 fpear-f}japed filaments^ and foot -ftalks to the floii^ers equal 

 fprcading^ and thofe of the fruit apprcachhigto the fialh 

 Ornithogalum angufiifoliuni majus, floribus ex albo 



virefccntibus. C. B. P. 7c. Greaternarro-s-leaved Star- 

 flower^ with whitijh green fo 



2. Ornithogalum (Pyj^amidale) racemo conico flori- 

 bus numcrofis adfcendentibus. Prod, Leyd. 32. Stnr- 

 flower with a conical fpike ^ having manercus flowers rifln<? 

 above each ether. Ornithogalum anguftifolium, fpica- 

 tum, maximum. C. B. P. 70. Largeft fpikcd Star- 

 flower with a narrow leaf. 



3. Ornithogalum {LatifoUum) racemo longiffimo, fo- 

 liis lanccolato-enfiformibus. Lin. Sp. Plant. 307. Star- 

 flower with the longefl fpike, and fpear-Jiaped halves, 

 Ornithogalum latifolium & maximum. C. B. P. 70.' 



Great eft broad-leaved Star-fiower^ called the Star-flower 

 of Alexandria, 



4. Ornithogalum {Nutans) floribus fecundis pendulis, 

 ncftario ftaminco campaniformi. Lin. Sp. Plant. 308. 

 Star-flower with fruitful hanging flowers., and a bell-fljaped 

 neUarium. Ornithogalum Neapolitanum. Cluf. App, 

 2. p. 9. Star-flower of Naples, 



5. Ornithogalum {Luteum) fcapo angulato diphyllo, 

 pedunculis umbellatis fimplicibus. Flor. Suec. 270. 

 Star flower with an angular ftalk having two leaves, and 



fingle umhellated footftalks, Ornithogalum luteum. C. 

 B; P. 7 1 . Yellow Star-flower, ■ 



6. Ornithogalum {Minimurn) fcapo angulato diphyllo, 

 pedunculis umbellatis ramofis. Flor. Suec. 271, Star- 





which I have applied it 5 for all the leaves of the true flower with an angular ftalk hearing two leaves, and 

 -^^ Dittany are very thick and woolly^ even thofe which I branching foot flalks having umbels. 



I V 



> -t 



;.s.^are fituated immediately below the flowers, whereas 

 1^, the lower leaves only arefo in this title. . : 



ft^'lThe thirteenth foft grows atSyracufe ; this hath pe- 

 rennial ligneous ftalks which rife a foot and a half 

 high, dividing into many fmall branches, which are 

 garnifhed with fmall heart-Ihaped leaves a little larger 

 than thofe of Marjoram, which are woolly. The 

 flowers grow in oblong tufted fpikes which are hairy i 

 they are irnall, white, and peep out of their fcaly co- 

 vers ; they appear in July, but feldom perfed: feeds 

 in England. This is propagated by cuttings or flips, 

 in tLe fame way as the tenth fort, and the plants re- 

 quire the fame treatm^ent. .. \j.:' -' 



The firft and fixth fort« are ufed in medicine, but the 

 firfl: beiner a native of this country, is frequently fub- 



ftituted for the other, which is pretty rare, in Eng- 

 land, and is now feldom imported here.^;: When the 

 firft fort is ufed, thofe plants which grow upon dry 

 barren ground are to be preferred, as they are much 

 , , ^ ftronger and have greater virtue than thofe which grow 



on good land, or are cultivated in gardens^ 

 ;. . I'he Dittany of Crete is alfo yfed in medicine, but 

 - jhe dried Jiefb is generally imported into England, 

 ^?^, which, by being clofely packed, and the voyage be- 

 ing long, it lofes much of its virtue 5 fo that if the 

 plants of Englifti growth were ufed, they would be 

 • found much better. . , / « / ' ■ r • ^v - - : -^ .-'* . s .' 





w ^Jl 



*^ - 



ORNITHOGALUM. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 378. 

 -ryiaK 203. .Lin. Gen. Plant. 377. ["O^uSiyxXov, ofopwj, 

 ■ :;aj^bird^ and ydxcc, milk, i. e, a plant whofe flov/ers 



are as white as the v/hite plumes of feathered ani- 



Ornithogalum lu- 

 teum minus. C. B. P. 71. Smaller yellow Starflcmr. 



7. Ornithogalum (Umbellatum) floribus corymbofis, 

 . pedunculis fcapo altioribus, filamentis emarginatis. 



Hort. ClifF. 124. Star-flower with ftowers growing in a 

 ccrymbus, whofe foot^ ftalks are taller than the ftalk, and 

 indented filaments. Ornitliogalum umbellatum medium 

 anguftifolium. C. B. P. 70. Mddle umbellated Star- 

 flower having narrow leaves. ■ ' . 



8. Ornithogalum (y/?-^2^/(:«?«''j floribus corymbofis, pe- 

 dunculis fcapo humilioribus, filamentis 'emarginatis. 

 Prod. Leyd. 32. Star-flozver with flowers growing in a 



corymbuSy foot ftalks lower than the ftalk, and indented 

 filaments. Ornithogalum Arabicum. Cluf. Hift. n. 

 ... p. 186. Star-flower of Arabia, . ., .v" 



9. Ornithogalum {Capenfe) foliis cordatis ovatis. Prod. 

 Leyd. 31. Star flower with oval heart-fhaped leaves. 

 Ornithogalum Africanum plantaginis rofe^ folio, ra- 

 dice tuberosa. Hort. Amfl:. 2, p. 175. African Star- 



I ftozver, with a Rofe Plantain leaf and a tuberous root. 

 lO- Ornithogalup^ {fTuberofum) racemo brcviffimo, 

 : foliis teretibus fiftulolis. Star-flower with a very fbort 

 fpike, and taper flftular leaves. .Ornithogalum Atnca- 

 :- nuiti, luteum odoratum, foliis cepaceis, radicc tu- 

 berosa. H. L. African Star-flower having yellrj) f^cct 

 ftowers, leaves refembling thofe of the Onion, and a tu- 



■- r 



A< 



.] Star of Bethlehem. 

 ; <The Characters are. 



The flower has no empale ment. It is compofed of fix 

 petals, whofe under parts are ereEl, but fpread open above, 

 and are permanent. ' It hathfi>i ereSlftamina about half 

 the length of the petals, crowned by Jingle fummits, with an 

 angular gcrmen, fuppcrting an awl fhaped ftyk which is 





her ous root. „ , _ . .... 

 The firfl: fort grows naturally near Briftol, and alio 

 near Chichefl:er in Suflex, and fome other parts of 

 England. This hath a pretty large bulbous root, from 

 which come out feveral long keel-fliaped leaves, which 

 fpread on the ground; between thefe come diu a 

 fingle naked ft:alk about two feet long, fuftaining a 

 long loofe fpikc of flowers of a yellowifli green co- 

 lour, fl:anding upon pretty long foot-flialks, which 

 fpread wide from the principal (talk; the petals 01 

 tne flowers are narrow, making but little appearance. 

 ■ The flowers have an agreeable fcent ; they appear m 



May, and when the feed-veflTcU are formed, the foot- 

 ^ ftalks 



