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The feeds of the fifth fort were brought from the 

 Levant, and from them there were plants raifed, which 

 producrd finglc, and others with double flowers, of 

 the fame lliape, fize, and colour. The roots ot 

 thefc are compofed of oblong flcfhy tubers or knobs ; 

 they arc of a pale colour, and hang by ftrings like the 

 other fpccies. The llalks rife about two feet high, 

 which arc of a pale green, and are garnifhed with 

 leaves compofed of feveral lobes, which are irregular 

 in fliape and fize, fome of them having but fix, and 

 others have eight or ten fpear-fhaped lobes j thefe are 

 fome cut into two, fome three fegments, and others 

 are entire; they are of a pale green, and are downy 

 on their under fide. The ftalks are terminated by 

 one flower of a bright red colour, a little lefs than that 

 of the female Peony, and have fewer petals j they 

 have a great number of ftamina, and fometimes two, 

 at others three germen, like thofe of the female Pe- 

 ony, but iliorter and whiter. This flowers a little 

 later than the common Peony. 



The feeds of the fixth fort were fent to the Chelfea 

 Garden by Dr. de Juflleu, who brought them from 

 Portugal, where the plants grow naturally. The 

 root of this fort is not compofed of roundifh tubers 

 or knobs, but hath two or three long, taper, forked 

 fangs like fingers. The ftalk rifes little more than a 

 foot high, and is garnilhed with leaves compofed of 

 three or four oval lobes, of a pale colour on their up- 

 per fide, and hoary on their under -, the ftalk is ter- 

 minated by a fingle flower, which is of a bright red 

 colour, fmaller than either of the former, and an agree- 

 able fweet fcent. This flowers about the. fame time 

 with the common fort. 



The firft of thefe forts is chiefly propagated for the 

 roots, which are ufcd in medicine ; for the flowers 

 being fingle, do not afford near fo much pleafure as 

 thofe with double flowers, nor will they abide near 

 fo long in beauty. 

 All the forts with double flowers are preferved in cu- 

 rious gardens for the beauty of their flowers, which, 

 when intermixed with other large growing plants in 

 the borders of large gardens, will add to the variety ; 

 and the flowers are very ornamental in bafons or 

 flower-pots, when placed in rooms. 

 They are all extremely hardy, and will grow in al- 

 moft any foil or fituation, which renders them more 

 valuable ; for they will thrive under the fhadc of 

 trees, and in fuch places they will continue much 

 longer in beauty. 



They are propagated by parting their roots, which 

 multiply very faft. The befl: feafon for tranfplanting 

 them is toward the latter end of Auguft, or the begin- 

 ning of September j for if they are removed after 

 their roots have fhot out new fibres, thejr fcldom 



flower ftrong the fucceeding fummer. - <i:; -ibrv* 

 In parting thefe roots, you fliould always obferve to 



preferve a bud upon the crown of each oflTset, other- 



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wife they will come to npthirig; nor fhould you di- 

 vide the roots too fmall (elpecially if you have re- 

 gard to their blowing the following year) for when 

 their offsets are weak, they many "times do hot flower 

 the fucceeding fummer, or at leaft produce but one 

 flower upon each root : but where you would multi- 

 ply them in quantities, you may divide them as fmall 

 as you pleafe, provided there be a bud to each offset ; 

 but then they fhould be planted in a nurfery-bed for 

 a (eafbh or two to get ftrength, before they are placed 

 in the flower-garden. 



The fingle forts may be propagated from feeds (which 

 they generally produce in large quantities, where the 

 flowers are permitted to remain) which fliould be 

 fown in the autumn loon after they are ripe, upon a 



bed of light frefli earth, covering them over about 

 half an inch thick with the fame light earth. The 

 fp""g following the plants will come up, when they 

 fhould be carefully cleared from weeds, and in very 

 dry weather refreflied with water, which will greatly 

 forward their growtli. In this bed they fliould re- 

 main two years before they are tranfplanted, obferving 



in autumn, when the leaves are decayed, to fpread 



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fome frefli rich e^rth over the beds about an inch 

 thick, and conftantly to keep them clear from weeds 

 When you tranfplant them, (which (houlcj be done in 

 September) you muft prepare fome beds offrelhliaht 

 earth, which fliould be dug, and well cleaned from 

 the roots of all noxious weeds ; then plant the roots 

 therein fix inches afunder, and about three inches 

 deep. In thefe beds they may remain until they 

 flower, after which they may be tranfplanted where 

 you defign they fliould grow\ It is very probable 

 there may be fome varieties obtained from the feeds 

 of thefe plants, as is common in mofl: other flowe'-s- 

 fo that thofe which produce beautiful flowers, may be 

 placed in the flower-garden, but fuch as continue 

 fingle or ill coloured, may be planted in beds to pro- 

 pagate for medicinal ufe. 



The Portugal Peony may alfo be propagated either 

 by feeds, or parting the roots, in the fame manner 

 as the other forts, but fliould have a lighter foil and a 

 warmer fituation. The flowers of this kind are fingle 

 but fmell very fweet, which renders it worthy of a 

 place in every good garden. 



PALIURUS. Tourn. Infl. R. H. 6i6. tab. 3S7. 

 Rhamnus. Lin. Gen. Plant. 235. Chrilt's Thorn. 

 The Characters are, 



The flower has no empakment. It hath five petals which 

 are ranged circularly y and end in acute points. It hath 

 Jive ftamina^ which are infer ted in the fcales under the 

 petals^ terminated by fmall fummitSy and a roundifh irifid 

 germen., fupporting three fhort fiyles, crowned by obtufe 

 fligmas. The germen afterward becomes a buckler-fhaped 

 nut divided into three cells, each containing one feed. 

 This genus of plants is by Dr. Linnseus joined to 

 the Rhamnus, which is ranged in the firft fedion 

 of his fifth clafs, in which are placed thofe plants 

 whofe flowers have five flamina and one ftylc j but 

 as the flowers" of this have three ftyles, fo it fhould 

 be ranged in his third fedtion. , . ,■ 



We know but one Species of this genus, viz. 



Paliurus {Spina Chrifli .) Dod. Pempt. 848. Cbrift's 



Thorn. Rhamnus aculeis geminatis, inferiore reflf-xo, 



floribus trigynis. Hort. Cliff. 6^. Prickly Buckthorn 



with double thorns, the under ones of which are refiexed, 



, and flowers containing three germina, . , , : 



. This plant grows naturally in the hedges in Palef- 



^ tine^jt rifes with a pliant fhrubby flialk to the height 



oF^eight or ten feet, fending out many weak (lender 



/ branches, gar nifhed with oval leaves placed alternately, 



. ftanding upon foot-flalks near one inch long; thclc 



1 have three longitudinal veins, and are of a pale green. 



:'..The flowers come out at the wings of the ftalk in 



. cluflers, almoft the length of the young branches ; 



they are of a greenifh yellow colour, and appear in 



June, and are fucceeded by broad, roundifli, buckler- 



; fhaped feed-veffels, which have borders like the brims 



of a hat, the foot-flalks being faflened to the middle; 



' thefe have three cells, each containing one feed. / 



This is by many perfons fuppofed to be the plant, 



from which the crown of thorns which was put upon 



the head of our Saviour, was compofed ; the truth of 



which is fupported by many travellers of credit, who 



affirm that this is one of the mofl common fhrubs in 



the country of Judasa ; and from the pliablenefs of 



its branches, which may eafily be wrought into any 



figure, it may afford a probability. ;;.-.' > 



This fhrub grows wild in mofl parts of the Levant, 



as alfo in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the fouth of 



France, efpecially near Montpelier, from whence 



their feeds may be procured, for they do not ripen 



in England. .Thefe feeds fhoqld be fown asfoon as 



pofllble after they arrive, on a bed of light earth, 



and the plants will come up the following fpring; 



but when the feeds are kept out of the ground till 



fpring, they will not come up till the next year, 



and very often fail j therefore it is much the btft 



way to fow them in the autumn. Thefe feedling plants 



may be tranfplanted the following feafon into a nur- 



fery to get flrength, before they are planted ou: for 



good. : 



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