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J>ANAXi Lin. Gen. Plant. 1031. Panacea. Mitch. 

 Gen. 26. Araliaftrum. Vaill. 6. Ginfcng or Ninfeng. 



The Charactbrs arc, . , 



// haih male and hermaphrodite flowers on diftin5f plants \ 

 the male have ftmple globular umbels^ compofed of feveral 

 coloured rays which are equal. The involucrum on the 

 cutfide^ conjlfls of the fame number of fmall fpear-fJoapcd 

 leaves, ^e flower has five narrow^ cblong, blunt pe- 

 tals, which are rcflexed^ fitting on the empalement^ and 

 five oblong fiender ftamina infer ted in the empalement^ ter- 

 minated by fingle fumraits. The hermaphrodite umbels 

 are fimple^ equals and cliiftered \ the involucrum isfmall^ 

 permanent f and compofed of feveral awl-fljaped leaves -, 



. the empdement is fmall and permanent. The flowers have 



five oblong equal petals^ which are recurved., and five 



fljort ftamina terminated by fingle fummits which fall off^ 



with a roundifh germen under the empalement^ fupporting 



two fmall ere^ ftylcs^ crowned by fingle ftigmas. The 



■ nrmen afterward becomes an umbillicated berry with 

 two cells., each containing a fingle^ heart-fijaped^ convex^ 



plain feed. ' - ^ ' \ -^ - ^ - --■ 



This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fcflion 



ofLinnasus's twenty-third clafs, which includes the 

 plants whofe male flowers are upon diftinft plants 

 from the female or hermaphrodite flowers. \ 'Js •^- - ^ 

 The Species are," . . ^ ^...v.-.i. 



I. Panax (^inquefolium) foliis ternis quiriatis. Flor. 

 Virg. 147. Panax with trifoliate Cinquef oil leaves. Ara- 

 liaflrum quinquefolii^ folio, majus, Ninzin vocatum, 

 D. Sarrafin, Vaill. Gen. 43. Greater five-teaved Baftard 

 Aralia^ }alled Ninzin. 



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2. Panax (Trifolium) foliis ternis ternatis; Flor. Virg. 

 35, Panax with three trifoliate leaves. A.raliafl:rum 

 fragafias folio minus. Vaill. Gen. 43. Smaller- Baftard 

 Aralia with d Strawberry leaf.- ' ■ '.^ '' ^ '^' , I " -^ ^ 

 Both thefc plants grow naturally in North America ; 

 the firfl: is generally believed to be the fame as the 



, Tartarian Ginfeng, the figures anddefcription5 of that 

 plant, which have been fent to Europe by the mifllo- 

 naries, agreeingperfedly with the American plant. 



. This hath a flefhy taper root as large as a man's fin- 



; ge'r, which is jointed, and frequently divided into two 

 fmaller fibres downward. The ftalk rifes near a foot 

 and a half high, naked at the top, where it generally 

 divides into three fmaller foot-fl:a!ks, each fufl:aining 

 aleaf compofed of five fpear-fhaj^ed lobes, which are 

 fawed on their edges ; they are of a pale green, and a 



^ little hairy. The flowers grow on a flender foot-ftalk, 

 juft at the divifion of the foot-flalks, 'which fuftain the 

 leaves,* and are formed into a fmall um^ef k the 

 top; they are of an herbaceous yellow colour, com- 



/ pofed of five fmall petals which are recurved. Thefe 

 appear the beginning of June, and are fucce^eded by 

 comprefled heart -Ihaped berries, which arc firfl: green, 

 but afterward turn red, inclqfing .two hard, cop- 

 prefled, heart-lhaped feeds, which ripen Ae begin- 



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- ning of Augufl:. ' 

 •The Chinefehold this plant in'greaf efl:eem,"aCcord- 



ing to the accounts which have been tranfmittcd to 

 Europe by the miflionaries.' Father Jartoux in his 

 Letters fays, that the mofl: eminent phyficians In Chi- 

 na have written whole volumes upon the vFrtues of 

 this' plant, and make it an ingredient in almofl: all 

 remedies which they give to their nobility^ for it is 

 of too high price for the common people.; T^^^ af- 

 firm, that it is afovereign remedy for all weakness oc- 

 cafioned by exceflive fatigues cither of body or mind; 

 that it cures weaknefs of the lungs, and the pleurify ; 

 that it fl:ops vomitings j that it fl:rengtKens the fl:o- 

 Inach, and helps the appetite; that it fl:rengthehs 

 the vital fpirits, and increafes lymph in the blood ; 

 in fliort, that it is good againll dizzinefs of the 

 head and dimnefs of fight, and that it prolongs life in 

 old age. ' .-"- 



This father alfc fays," he has made trials of the root 

 of this plant himfclf, and has, in an hour after tak- 

 ing half one of the roots, found himfelf greatly reco- 

 vered from wearinefs and fatigue, and much more 

 vigorous, and could bear labour with greater eafe 

 than before, ' 



Helikewife mentions the emperor's having empjoyeil 

 ten thoufand Tartars in the year 1 709, to'gacher ihi^ 

 plant in the dcfarts, where it naturally grows •, thefe 

 were attended by a guard of mandarines, who encamp 

 with their tents in fuch places as are proper for the 

 fubfiftence of their horfes, and from time to time fend 

 their orders to the rcfpeftive troops under their care ;. 

 and when they have completed their colledion of 

 roots, they return with their cargo to the city. ^ The 

 roots of this plant which have been gathered in Ame- 

 rica and brought to England, have been fent to Chi- 

 na, where, at the beginning, there was a j^ood mar- 

 ket for them; but the quantities which were after- 

 ward fent, did notanfwcr fo well, the market b 



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pverftocked with that commodity. 

 This plant has been introduced to the EnglillTi gar- 

 dens from America, arid where it has been planted Iri 

 a fliady fituation and a' light f6il,''the plants have 

 thriven and produced flowers, and ripened their feeds 

 annually, but not one of thefe feeds have gTOwn; for^ 

 I have feveral years fown them foon after they v/ere 

 ripe, without any fuccefs ; I have alfo fown of the 

 feeds which were fent me from America feveral times 

 in various fituations, and have not ralfed a fingle plant 

 from either ; and by the accounts which the mifliona- 

 ries have fent from China, it appears, they have had 

 no better fuccefs \yith the feeds of this plant, which 

 they lay they have frequently fown in the gardens in 

 China, but could riot raife one plant ; fo that I believe 

 there is a necelTify for the hermaphrodite plants to 

 have fpme male plants fl;and near them, to render the 

 feeds proHfic j for all thofe plants which I have feen, 

 or faved the feeds from, were fuch as had hermaphro- 

 dite flowers ; and though the feeds teemed to riperi' 

 perfeflly, yet their not growing, though I have wait- 

 ed three years without difturbing of the ground, con- 

 firms me iri this""bpIniori. . '^ - ' -^ - ' . -^^ ' 

 The fecond fort grows naturally in the fame coun- 

 tries, but whether it is pofliflx;d of the famle' qualities 

 as the firfl I cannot fay ; I have ken but one plant of 

 this fort in England, which was fent nie a few years 

 I ) from Maryland, and did riot live' over the firft 

 fummer, which was remarkably dry, and being plant- 

 ed iri a dry foil, was the occafion of its death ; the 

 ftalk of this was fingle, arid did not rife more thaa 

 five inches high, dividing into three foot-ftalks, each 

 fuftaining a trifoliate leaf, whofe Ipbes were longer, 

 narrower, and deejoer indented on their edges, thari 

 thofe of the former. The fl'ower-ftalk rofe from the 

 divifions of the foot-ftalk of the leaves, but before ■ 

 the flowers opened, the plant decayed, fo I can give 

 no farther account of it. 



A". 



M. Dill. Hort. Elth. 22i.foL 289. 

 r^. Lin. Gen, Plant, 365. NarciflAJs. Tourn. Irift. R. H. 

 353. tab. 185. Sea Daffodil. ' ' I ■' 



-.:..;^-'The Characters are, 



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flowers drelnclofed in an oblong fp'aiha or fheath 



fid 



The flowers 



have a funnel-floated cylindrical neSlmium of one. leaf 

 fpreading open at the tbp^ arid fix fpear-fhaped petals^ 



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bafe 



tferted on the outfide of 



long ftamiAa infer ted in the brim of 



roe 



ne^iariuniy terminated by oblong proflrate ft. 

 have a three-cornered oltiife germen fituated urtdeir Ihe 

 .flower J fupporting a long flender fly le, crowned by an bb- 

 • tufe ftigma. ' The germen afterward becon^s a irbundifh 

 -.. threercornered capfule with three cells^ filled with globu- 

 lar ' fe , ; . ; , . 



V This genii? of plarits is ranged iri the firft fedtion of 



' Lmriasus's fixth clafs, which Includes thofe plants 



whofe flowers have fix ftamina and one ftyle. 



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- The Species are^ 

 i. Pancratium {Maritimiin) fpatha multiflora, petalis- ' 



planis, foliis lirigulatis. Lin. Sp. Plant.' 291. Pan- 

 } cratium with a fheath containing many flowers^ having 



plain petalsy and tongue-fhaped leaves. NarcifiTus mari-^ 



timus. C. B. P. 540. The Sea Daffodil. ,[ ;; 



2. Pancratium (Illyricuin) fpatha multiflora, foliis en- ^ 



fiformibtis, ftaminibus nedbario longioribus'. Flor.' --. 



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Leyd. Prod. 34 



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^'atrnm with many flcwcrs in a 

 U : r: (Irfath. 



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