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ilulLs, which rife about three feet high, fending out 

 from their fide feveral fhorc branches, which are o-ar- 

 nillied with flifF, oval, heart-fliaped leaves, placed al- 

 ■ 'tcrnately on every part of the ftalk ; they are about 

 half an inch long, and one third of an inch broad 

 near their bafe, ending with fharp prickly points. The 

 flowers are produced on the upper fide of the leaves 

 juft in the middle 5 thefe are male in fome, and fe- 

 male in other plants ; they are fmall, and cut into fix 

 parts, of a purple colour, fitting clofe to the midrib \ 

 they appear in June, and the female flowers are fuc- 

 ceeded by" berries almoll as large as Cherries, of a 

 fweetifh tafte, which ripen in winter, when they are 

 of a beautiful red colour, 

 \ As this plant grows wild in moft parts of England, 

 it is rarely admitted into gardens ; but if fome of the 

 'roots are planted' under tall trees in large plantations, 

 they will fpread into large clumps ; and as they retain 

 , their leaves in winter, at that feafon, they will have 

 '^ a good effect. The feeds of this plant generally lie 

 - a, year in the ground before they vegetate, and the 

 plants fo raifed are long before they arrive to a fize 

 enough to make any figure, 'lo it is not worth while 

 to propagate them that way, cfpecially as the roots 

 maybe eafily tranfplanted from the woods. , 'The 

 roots and feeds of this plant have been ufed in medi- 



the roots are aperitive, and efteemed good for 



cine ; 



removing obftruftions 



the feeds are an ingredient in 



the cornpofition of the benedifta laxativa: the young 

 Ihoots of this plant in the fpring" are fometimes ga- 

 thered and eaten by the poor fike thofe of Afpafagus ; 

 the branches of this plant, ^with their ripe fruit upon 

 thern, are frequently cut,' arid put into bafons of fand, 

 inixingthemwiththefl;alksof ripefeedsof malePiohy, 

 and thofe of the wild Iris or Gladwyn, which toge- 

 ther make "a pretty appearance in rooms, at a feafon 

 of the year when there are few'flowers, and thefe will 

 continue a long time in beauty/ 

 The fecond fort grows naturally in the mountainous 

 parts of Italy, but is preferved for the fake of vari- 



'cty in many Englifli gardens, ' The roots o'f this 

 have large knotty heads, with long thick fibres like 

 thofe of the former fort, from which arife many tough 

 limber ftalks near two feet high ; thefe are garnifhed 

 by fliifi^, oblong, oval leaves ending in points, which 

 are more than two inches long and almoft one broad ; 

 they are place'd alternately on the ftalks -, the flowers 

 are produced on the under furface of the leaves hear 

 the middle, fitting clofe to the midrib •, they are fmall, 

 and of an herbaceous white colour ^ the female 



' flov/ers are fucceeded by fmall red berries about the 

 fize of thofe of Juniper/ This_fipwers in July, and 

 the feeds ripen in winter. _ 



r*'^. k\ 



n 







It fl:ands in moft difpenfaries among^'tlie plantr'ufed 

 in medicine, and has been commended for openino- 

 obltructions or the 



-- £* ^. 



and to provoke urine, 

 ,ine third lort grows naturally upon {hady mbiintains 

 in Italy, Hungary, and other parts of Europe.' The 

 \- foot of this is compofed of many thick fibres like 

 ; thofe of the former, from which arife rnariy tough 

 limber ftalks which are about ten inches high, ear- 

 . : niflied with fpear-lhaped leaves about three inches 

 r long and one broad in the middle, drawing to a 

 ^ point at both ends i they have feveral longitudinal 

 - ' veins, which run from the foot-ftalk to the point, 

 .*' diverging from the midrib in the middle, but join 

 .^""ag'ain at the point ; the leaves' are for the moft part 

 ••*. alternate, but fometimes they are oppofite.' On the 

 middle of the upper furface of thefe, comes forth a 

 fmall leaf of the iame ftiape ; and at the fame point, 

 from the bofom of the finall leaves, come out the 

 ■ flowers, which are of a pale yellow colour. The 

 ' female flowers are fometimes fucceeded by berries 

 almoft as large as thofe of the firft fort, which ripen 

 in winter, and are red. This is fometimes called 

 Biflingua, or Double Tongue, from the leaves grow- 

 ing one out of another. It ftands in difpenfaries as a 

 medicinal plant, but is feldom now ufed. 

 The fourth fort grows naturally in the Archipelago, 

 but is frequently planted in the Englilh gardens ^ it 



R U S 



is called Laurus Alexandrina, i. e, Alexandrian BaJ. 

 and IS luppofed to be the plant with which the ancient^ 

 crowned their viftors and poets. The ftalks of this 

 being very phable, may be eafily wrought int© co- 

 ronets tor this^ purpofe ; and the leaves of this plant, 

 having a great refemblance to thofe which are re- 

 prefented on the antient bufts, feem to confirm this 

 opinion. 



The roots of this are like thofe of the. former fpecies ; 

 .L„ /i..n_. ^j.^ flender, and much more pliable ; they 



four feet high, and fend out many fide 

 branches, which are garniflied with oblong acute- 

 pointed leaves about two inches long, and one-third 

 of an inch broad, rounded at their bafe, but end in 

 acute points ; they are fmooth, and. of a lucid green, 

 placed alternately, and fit clofe to the branches. The 

 flowers are produced in long bunches at the end of 

 the branches ; thefe are hermaphrodite, of an herba- 

 ceous yellow colour, and are fucceeded by berries 



like thofe of the firft fort, but fmaller, which ripen 

 in winter. . : . ._ 



the ftalks 

 rife about 



The fifth fort grows naturally in Zant, and fome of 

 the other iflands in the Morea. The roots of this are 

 like thofe of the former forts ; the ftalks rife about two 

 feet high, they are flender, pliable, and garniflied 

 with oval leaves placed by threes round the ftalk ; 

 they are about two ,inches long, and one broad^ 

 rounded at ^bqth ends, terminating in acute points, 

 and have feveral longitudinal diverging veins run- 

 ning from the foot-ftalk to the point. Th? flowers 

 grow on the under fide of the leaves, faftened to the 

 midrib ; they are naked, and have pretty lono- foot- 

 ftalks i the iegments or petals are very narrow; the 

 fruic I have not feen, fp can give no account of it. \ 

 The fixth fort grows naturally in Italy, where it was 

 difcoyered by Signior Micheli of Florence. The roots 

 of this are much longer than thofe of the firft fort ; the 

 ftalks rife near five feet high j they are very pliant, 

 fend out feveral fide branches their whole lc:ngth, 

 which are garniflied with ftiff* oval leaves ending in 



* acute points ; they are one inch long, and half ah inch 

 broad. The flowers are produced on the upper 

 furface of the leaves, fitting clofe to the midrib ; they 

 are fmall, and of an herbaceous white colour. Thefe 

 are fucceeded by berries which are fmaller than thofe 

 of the firft- fort, and are of a pale red when ripe. 

 All thefe forts are very hardy, and will thrive in al- 



;^.moft any foil or fituation, fo are very proper for" 

 planting round the verges of clofe woods, or under 

 large trees in v/ildernefs quarters ; for, as they are al- 

 ways green, they^ make a good appearance in win- 

 ter, after the deciduous trees have caft their leaves ; 



.-they are eafily propagated by parting of their roots! 

 The be.ft time for this is in autumn ; but, when this 

 is performed, the roots ftiould not be divided into 

 fmall parts, becaufe that will weaken them fo much, 

 that they will make but little figure, until they have 

 had two or three years growtli'; they may alfo be pro- 

 pagated by fowing of their feeds, but this is a very 

 tedious method, fo is feldom prailifed. • ^ > 



to 



on the edges of the leaves 



iht feventh fort grows naturally in the ifland of Ma* 

 deira; this fends out pliant ftalks^ which rife ittvtn 

 or eight feet high, and have feveral ftiort branches 

 proceeding from their fides, which are garniflied 

 with ftiff^ leaves about two inches long, and one broad, 

 toward, their bafe, where they are rounded to the foot-'^ 

 ftalk, but end in acute points s they haye a great num- 

 ber of longitudinal veins running from the foot-ftalk 

 the point. The flowers are produced in clufters 



; they arc white, and are 

 fucceeded by berries of a yellowifli red colour, not fo 

 large as thofe of the firft fort. 



This fort is tender, and muft therefore be planted in 

 pots filled with frefli earthy and in >vinter removed 

 into the green-houfe, but it fhould be placed where 

 it may have free air in mild weather; for it only re- 

 quires to be fcreened from froft, and in the fummcr 

 it muft be fet abroad with other hardy green-houfe 

 plants. With this management the plants will fend 

 forth ftems fix or eight feet high, furniihej with 



■ 1 X R leavcji 



V 



