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a crreat number of flcnder llamina, terminated by 

 whitifh fiimniits, and are connefted at their bafe into 

 fevcral fmall bunches. The female flowers which oc- 

 cupy the upper part of the fpike, have prickly em- 

 palements which inclofe the roundifli germen, upon 

 which fit three fhort ftyles, crowned by oblong Ibig- 

 nias. Hie gcrmen afterward becomes an oval capfule 

 with three deep channels, clofely armed with foft 

 Jpincs, and divided into three cells, each containing 



one oblong flriped feed. 



The fecond fort grows naturally in the iflands of 



theWefl-Indies, where it is called Agnus Callus, or 

 Oil-tree. This is often confounded with the former, 

 mod of the botanifts fuppofing they are the fame plant j 

 but as I have cultivated both, more than thirty years, 

 m which time I have never obferved either of them 

 to vary, fo I think there can be no doubt of their be- 

 ing different plants. This hath brown flalks which 

 divide into two or three branches, which rife fix or fe- 

 ven feet high; the leaves are broader, and not fo 

 deeply divided as thofe of the former j they are of a 

 deep green on both fides, and are unequally fawed. 

 The fpikes of flowers are fliorter, the feed-vefl^els 

 rounder, and of a brovvnifh' colour, and the feeds are 

 much lefs, and of a brown colour. 

 The third fort grows naturally in the Weft-Indies, 

 and is often confounded with the forrper, but is very 

 different. The llalk of this fort is thick, herbaceous, 

 and of a grayifh green ; the joints are clofer than thofe 

 of the former fortSj itrifes about four feet high', and 

 divides Into three or four branches which fpread al- 

 moft hoi'izontally ^ the leaves are large, of a deep 

 green on their upper fide, but grayifh on their under ; 



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times divide at the top into two of three branches - 

 the leaves are much lefs tlian thofe of the other ibrts' 

 and are deeper divided ^ their borders are unequally 

 fawed, and the fegments of the leaves are frequently 

 cut on their fides. The fpikes of flowers are fmaller 

 and more compaft than thofe of the former forts ; the 

 capfules are fmaller, rounder, and of a light o-reen 

 and are clofely armed with foft fpines ; the feeds are 

 fmall, and are finely fi:riped. 



There are fome other fpecies which grow naturally in 

 both Indies, but have not been examined by any cu- 

 rious botanift i for I have received feeds of three or 



. four forts, which appeared to be very different from 

 any of the known forts, but the feeds of fome were 

 too old to grow, and the other were killed before 

 their feeds were ripe. 



The forts here enumerated, I have cultivated feveral 

 years, and have always found they have kept their 

 difference, fo that I have no doubt of their being dif- 

 tin6t fpecies ; and unlefs they are thus tried, there is 

 no poffibility of determining their fpecific difference ; 

 for when the plants are found growing in different 

 foils and fituations, they have fuch different appear- 

 ances, as may deceive the moft fi<iliul botanift. 

 Thefe plants are generally annuals in thefe countries, 

 though in their native places of growth they continue 

 longer ; and in England the planrs are often pre- 

 ferved through the winter (efpecially the firft fort) 

 but young plants are much preferable to thofe which 

 are thus preferved ; therefore few perfons are at the 

 trouble to keep them, unlefs when the feafons prove 

 fo bad as that their feeds do not ripen, whereby the 

 . fpecies might be loft, if the plants are not preferved 



/* through the winter. 



they are deeply cut into fix or feven lobes or fegments, 



which are unequally fawed on their edges; " -The | '-^Tliefeph^ propagated by feeds,' which muft be 



fown upon a hot-bed in the fprine, and when the 



fpikes of flowers are Ibofe, the covers of the capfules 

 are green, and clofely armed with foft fpines, and the 

 feeds are ftnalfer and lighter coloured than thofe of 



the fecond 'fo^t*;.^.'^ 





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^ The fourth fort grows naturally in both Indies, jfrom 



'-both which countries I have feveral timesreceived the 



feeds. This rifes with an herbaceous ftallc about 



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four feet high ; the lower part is pufplifli, and the up- 

 per of a deep green ; the joints of this are pretty far 

 '*afunder ; the leaves are of a deep green dn their up- 

 per fide, but are paler on their under ; theyare^tiot 

 ,fo deeply divided as fome of the other forts, and are 

 more regularly fawed, the fpikes of flowers are large. 

 The male flowers have more ftamina, and their fum- 

 mits are yellow; the capfules are oval and rough, 

 but have no fpines ; the feeds are fmall, and of a brown 

 colour. 



^ _ _ 



..^^ The fifth fort grows naturally in Africa, and alfo in 

 't^oth the fndies -this rifes with a lar^e reddilh ftalk 

 :..1^ to the height often or twelve feet, which has many 

 ;^ joints, and divides into feveral branches ; the leaves 

 i are the largeft of any fpecies yet known, I have meat 

 ^ fured fome of theoj which were" more tharTtwo'^fee- 

 '.' ■ and a half diiihettr'; they ' a'rt' of a dark greenV ^nld 

 ^ J linequally fawed on their edges, and hot fo deeply 

 ' ; cut as thofe of fome other forts. The fpikes of flowers 

 are large, the empalement of the flowers are brown. 



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:J^ the fummits on the ftamina of the male flowers are 



*^whitifli; the capfules are large, oval, and clorefy 





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plants are come up, they fhould be each planted into 

 ,r^ a feparatie pot filled with light frefli earth, and plunged 

 '"^ into a freih hoti-lSed, obferving^ to water and fhade 

 •^■them until theV'have taken root; after' which they 

 *; muft have a great mare.of free air Sjvhen the feafon is 

 •-r mild, "Otherwife they will draw up tall, and be very 

 • weak ; and as thefe plants grow very faft, their roots 

 .will in a Ihort time fill the pots ; therefore they fliould 

 be Ihifted into targeFpots, filled with the like freflx 

 tr.:jearth;' 'and toward the latter en when the 



5--' feafon is warm, they may be hardened to endin'e the • 

 open air by degrees; and then if fome of the plants 

 are fhaken out 9f .the pots, and planted out into a 

 "very rich border, and in dry weather duly watered, 

 ' they will grow to a^ very large fize, particukrly the 

 fii*ft and fifth forts, which I have feen upvv^ai^'br ten • 

 feet high in one feafon, and thefe plants have produced 

 j'^ a great quantity of flowers and leeds'rB'utlf you in- 

 ^^ tend jto preferve any of the plants through the winter,' 

 -. they muft not be planted in the full P-roundy because 

 5' after their roots have been widely extended, there.will 

 """'fee^no tranfplantins; tTiem with fafetVVItHerefojr'^the 

 ":■ beft wa^ is to fliirt them into larger pots from time 

 tfd Kme, as their roots ffiall require, placing them in^ 

 the open-air diirihg thefummer feafon in fome warm 

 fituation, w^here they may remain until Oftober, when 

 they muft be remtrved into the houfc with other exo- 

 tic plants, obfervingto water the rn fparingly in win- 

 ter, and alfo to admit the fFee aiir'ln ^mild weather ; - 



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'"atihed with foft fpines ; the feeds are very' large, and 

 ::;beautifblly ftriped/^^i^]^. -q- - ^ ! ' F^^f t^i~i^ 



;' The fixth fort grows fiawMy in the Spamffl 'Weft- , ^ 



' -Indies, from whence the late .Mr- Robert Millar fent}^!- warni gVeen-houfej^ withbxit any additi6il 

 'me the feeds. The plants of this fort are in eVefv re- 1 * ' ■v^armth ""^'"' * ■* •-- ■"^*^ -^-^ iit.:/-.c; >.a t.-. ^ 



''\ for they only require to be protcfte.o. from rrolt and 

 ■^^'' cold "winds, fomaT they will eridure"the*i?rtftef in a 



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additiiil of artificial 



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: fpea like thofe of the Sth,^,but the capfules which I :2 Thefe planW^eterve af late in 'every curious garden 

 y; inclofe the ^^^dsar^^^^ j "'; for the firigutiV betuty of their leaves (notwithftandr 



X^pahent, \herefore It may be put down aTVdiftind; ■ : inn- theirflowers make no ^reat appearance) efpecially 



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'fpecies.' 



• The feventii fort grbws naturally in Carolina, and'fe- 



yef.aj other parts of America; of this tKere are two 



Varieties, if not diftind fpecies joiie bf themlia^ a 



. ,S.?^.^k. and the other a pale green fl'alkrtKey are 



diltinguilhed by the inhabitants of Americd^' by the 



. title of red and white Oil-feed. S the ftalks of thefe 



^ , feldom rife more than three feet high," they fome- 



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- ipg theirflowersrnakj^njD^reat appearance) ef|)ecially 



" thofe forts wh^fh may bV propagated every jearfrom 



''I feeds;'Becaufe thofe perfons who have no green-hbufe 



' to place them into in winter, may cultivate tnern as 



f other annual plants, aniongft which thefe being' placed, 



'father 'in pBt^ dr'Bbrdefs, affbrd ari^iigrijeable variety ; 



•■'-%ut it mm 6e ' obfefVed, as thefe are large-growing 



: pla'ntb; n^ver to place them' too'iiear other plants of 



lefs fffoM, becaufe they will overbear and deftroy 



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