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The firft fort was formerly mtlch more cultivated in 

 the EnglilTi gardens than at prefent j this has been 

 generally ufed for che Monks Rhubarb, and has been 

 thought the true, but others fuppofe the fecond fort 

 Ihould be ufed as fuch ; the herb was formerly ufed 

 in the kitchen, by the title of Patience. The root is 

 large, and divides into many thick fibres which run 

 cov/nward ; their outer cover is brown, but they are 

 yellow within, with fome reddifh veins •, the leaves 

 are broad, long, and acute-pointed ; their foot-ftalks 

 are of a rcddifh colour ; the ftalks rife from four to 

 fix feet high, and divide toward the top into feveral 

 eredt branches, which are garni(bed with a few nar- 

 row leaves, terminating with fpikes of large ftamine- 

 ous flowers. Thefe appear in June, and arefucceed- 

 ed by pretty large three-cornered feeds whofe cover- 

 ings are entire, which ripen in autumn. 

 The fecond fort grows naturally on the Alps, but has 

 been long cultivated in the Englifli gardens. - This 

 hath large roots, which fpread and multiply by their 

 offsets ; they are Ihorter and thicker than thofe of the 

 firft fort, of a very dark brown on their outfide, and 

 yellow within. The leaves are of the round heart- 

 ihape, about nine inches long, and as much in breadth 

 near their bafe, having pretty long foot-ftalks. The 

 ftalks rife from two to three feet high ; they are very 

 thick, and have a few fmall roundifh leaves on the 

 lower part, but the upper part clofely garniftied with 

 fpikes of white flowers, ftanding ereft, clofe to the 

 ftalks. Thefe appear the latter end of May, and are; 

 fucceeded by large triangular feeds^ J^^h^^h ripen in 



Auguft. ',.. V, \-. *,\. _ .; .. 'r' *" 



The third fort grows naturally in 

 ftanding waters, in many parts of England ; this is 

 fuppofed to be the Britannica of the antients. It hath 

 large roots which ftrike deep into the loofe mud, 

 fending out -'leaves which are three feet long, and 

 four inches broad in the middle, drawing to a point 

 at each end. The ftalks rife four feet when growing 

 in water, but in dry land not more than two ; thefe 

 are garniflied with narrow leaves among the fpikes of 

 flowers, to the top. The flowers ftand upon {lender 

 foot-ftalks which are reflexed ; they are of an herba- 

 ceous colour, appear in June, and the feeds ripen in 



autumn. . , 7',^ 



The fourth fort prows naturally in moift places In 

 many places of England > this is the Oxylapathum of 

 the ftiops, which is directed by the College to be 

 iifed in medicine ; but the markets are Supplied with 



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roots of the common Docks, which are indifferently 

 ►- gathered by thofe who colledt them in the fields, 

 -.■where the eighth fort is much more common "tTia'n 

 . this. The roots of this fort are flender and run down- 

 right, fendine: out a few fmall fibres; the ftalks rife 

 about two feet high, which are garnifhed with leaves 

 below, about four incKes long, and one and a half 

 r= broad in the middle ; they are rounded at their bafe, 

 -where they are flightly indented, but "end in acute 

 points"; they are plain, and flighdy crehated oh tHeir 

 edges. From the joints of the ftalk come out alter- 

 riately flender long foot-ftalks, which fuftain the 

 fpikes of flowers, which grow in fmall whorls round 

 .the ftalks, at about an inch diftance; thefe have fcarce 

 .; any leaves upon the foot-ftalks between the whorls of 

 . 'flowers, fo may be eafily diftinguiflied from the fmall 





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fourth, but the covering of the feed is entire ; whereas 

 thofe of the fourth are indented, fo m'ay He readily 

 diftinguiflied. It grows naturally in many parts of 

 England. 



The feventh fort grows naturally in feveral parts of 

 England -, this is a biennial plant, which perifties foon 

 after the feeds are ripe ; the ftalks rife near two feec 

 high ; they are of a deep purple colour, and are gar- 

 niftied with fpear-fliaped leaves toward the bottom, 

 which are four inches long, and almoft one broad in 

 the middle, but thofe on the upper part of the ftalk 

 are very narrow, and not rnore than two inches long ; 

 the fpikes of flowers come out from the fides of the 

 ftalks alternately. The flowers grow in thick whorls 

 which fit clofe to the ftalks ; thefe are of a bright 

 yellow colour, and the covers of the feeds are fnarply 

 indented. - . 



The eighth fort is the nioft common Dock by the 

 fides or roads and banks in every part of England ; 

 the leaves of this fort are broad and rounded at their 

 points, though fome of them end more acutely than 

 others; they are near a foot long, and five inches 

 , broad toward their bafe, having many tranfverfe veins 

 running from the midrib to their borders. The ftalks 

 rife from two to three feet high, branching out on 

 their fides, having a few leaves on their lower part of 

 the f^me ftiape with the other, but fmaller. The 



'_ flowers grow in whorls, fitung very clofe to the ftalks ; 

 fome plants "have indented coverings to their feeds, 

 and others have entire coverings ; both thefe afe fre- 

 quently found intermixed, fo that I doubt of thei'r 

 being diftindt fpecies. . The leaves of this Dock were 

 formerly much ufed for Wrapping up of butter, and 



^ from thence the plant was called Butter Dock. . ' 

 The ninth fort grows naturally in many places near 

 London ; this is a biennial plant, 'which periflies foori 

 after the feeds are ripe. The ftalks of this rife about 

 a foot high, and branch out from the bottom ; the 

 leaves grow near the root ; they are about two inches 

 and a half long, and are hollowed on their fidefr,- fo 

 as to refemble the fides of a fiddle ; the ftalks are ge- 



. nerally bent at their joints. The flowers grow in 

 whoris round the ftalks, to which they fit very clofe ; 

 they are hermaphrodite ; the covers of the feeds are 

 fliarply indented. 



The tenth fort is fometimes found growing naturally 

 in England, upon places where the water has ftood 

 in winter. This feldom rifes more than five or fix 

 7 inches high, but divides into two or three branches ; 

 ';^ the leaves are about three inches long, and a quarter 

 r' of an inch broad; they are fmooth, and ftand upon 

 ' ftiort foot-ftalks. yThe flowers growMiwwhorls round 



; the branches, to which they fit very clofe'; thefe are 



f"Tucceeded by fmall triangular feeds 

 covers. . - ^-sv -- .^ ^ -. 



. The eleventh fort came originally from Aleppo ; this 

 is a biennial plant ; the leaves are nine or ten inches 

 long, fmooth, and of a light green ; they are three 

 " inches broad at their bafe, where they are indented^ 

 and end in acute points. The ftalks rife from two to 

 three feet high, fending out many branches from their 

 fides, which are garniftied with large whorls of her- 



; baceous flowers, ftanding upon pretty long foot-ftalks ; 

 thefe are fucceeded by three-cornered feeds, whofe 

 coverings are deeply indented. 



having indented . 



Water Dock, which has many. This flowers in Juhe, I The twelfth fort grows naturally in Egypt ; this is an 



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.-and the feeds ripen in autumn. ■ » .; \ ' V ;\ 

 .The fifth fort is more- commonly found growing na- 



turally about London than the fourth ; the leaves of 



fhis are much longer than thofe of the former, and 



are indented on their fides, which are alfo waved ; the . ^ ^ . 



ftalks rife about the fame height as thofe of the for- thehair-likebeards which adhere to the covering of the 



annual plant ; the ftalk rifes about ten inches high, 

 fending out a few horizontal branches toward the bot- 

 tbm ; the leaves are about two inches long, and half 

 an inch broad at the broadeft part. The flowers grow 

 in whorls round the ftalks, they are very fmall, and 



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mer. The fpikes of flowers from the fide are Ihorter, 

 and clofer garnifhed with flowers on pretty long foot- 

 ftalks ; the covering of the feed is entire. It flowers 

 and feeds about the fame time with the former. 

 The fixth fort is very like the fourth in appearance, 

 but the leaves have deep blood-coloured veins, and 

 fome fmall fpots of the fame on their furface i the 



ftalks are red, and rife about the fame height as the 



feed being long, obfcure the flowers, fo they are 

 fcarce vifible to the naked eye,^ 

 All thefe forts of Docks rife eafily from feeds, and if 

 introduced into a garden, will become troublefome 

 weeds, if their feeds are permitted to fcatter; there- 

 fore few perfons care to propagate any of them, except 

 the two firft forts, which are cultivated for their ufe 



in medicine. The feeds of * all the Docks fhould be 



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