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expofcd to tlie open air in July, and thcrc&y ftintcd 

 in their growth, continued their leaves frefli all the 

 v.'intcr. Thele Were placed in a ftove upon (helves, 

 where the v/armth was very moderate, with which 

 thefe plants will thrive better than in a greater heat. 

 The third fort is much more hurdy than either of the 

 other: this may be placed in a good green-houfe in 

 the autumn, where it will live through the winter, 

 and in fumnier lliould be expofed to the open air in 

 a fhekered fituation, where it will thri\''e \try well 

 S A PON ARIA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 449. Lychnis. 

 Tourri. Inft. R. H. 333. tab. 175. Sopewort. 

 The Characters 



are 



* ' "T/je^c^er has apermaiicnt emp dement of one leaf which 



is cut into five points. It has five petals whofe tails arc 



[ narrozv^ anguhr\ and the length of the empaleme'nt ; 



their herders are hroad^ cbtufe and plain. It hasten 



awl- fi aped ftamina the length' of ttic tube of the flower^ 



'which are alternately inferted into the petals^ andareter- 



.'■ minated by cbtufe projtrate fmnmits^ and a taper germen \ 



\\ fipporting two ere^ parallel fiyles^ crowned by acute ftig- 



mas. The gtnne'n after-ward becomes a clcfe capfule the 



„ , length of the cnipalement^ harping one cell filled with fmall 



• feeds. . _. ..; '.,_. :. . 



This genus of plants is ranged in tKe fecond feccion 

 of Linn^us's tenth clafs, which includes thofe plants 



■ whofe flowers have ten ftamina and two ftvles. 



, . Ihe Species are, ,.. . - , ^.. .. 





^'iV' ^^\ ^^^ Tucceeded by oval capfuies with one 



cell, filled with fmall feeds. 



The leaves of this plant are fometimes ufed In medi^ 

 cnie; they are accounted opening and attenuating, 

 and lomewhat fudorific, fo are by fome recommend- 

 ed againft the lues venerea, and outwardly applied 

 they help hard tumours and whitloes. Tlie decoc- 

 tion of this plant is ufed to cleanfe and fcour wool- 

 len cloths: the poor people in fome countries ufe it 

 initead of fope for wafliing, from whence it had its 

 title. .., ^ 



There is a variety of this with double flowers, which 



is preferved in gardens, but the roots are very apt to 



fpread far on every fide if they are not confined, fo 



thefe plants fhould not be placed in borders among 



better flowers ; but as the flowers continue in fuc- 



Ceffion from July to the middle of September, fo 3 



few of the plants may be allowed a place in fome ab- 



jeA part of the garden, for they will thrive in any fi. 



tuation, and propagate fafl; enough by their creepinfy 

 roots. ;. ..'..' ^ 



-\ 



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I. 



Saponaria (Officinalis) calycib.us.cylindricis, foliis 



ovato-lanceolatis. Hort. Cliff. 165. Sopewort with cy- 

 lindrical empdementXf and oval Jpear-fijaped leaves. 

 Lychnis fylveftris que' faponaria vulgo. Tourn. Inft. 

 3^6, TVild Campion^ vulgarly called Sopewort, - ' . - 



2. SAi'OiiAKi A (Hybnda) calycibus cylindricis, foliis ova- 



tis nervofis femiamplexicaulibus. Sopewort with cylin- 



drical empalemcnts^ and oval veined leaves half embracing 



jheftalks. Lychnis faponaria difta, folio convoluto. 



. RaiiSyn. 339. CampioUy called Sopewort y withatwifi- 



,; ed leaf 



2' Saponaria (Vaccaria) calycibus pyramidatis quin- 



'..qiiangularibus, foliis oblongo-ovatis acuminatis felTi- 

 libus. Hort. Cliff. 166. 



p ' 



- * 



cornered erapalements^ 

 leaves. 



Sopewcrt with pyramidal five- 

 and oblongy oval^ acute-pointed 



foliis 



Lychnis fegetum rubra, foliis perfoliatas. 

 _C. B. P. 20J^1" Red Corn Campion^ with Thorough-wax 

 leaves, . ^- '.. . - 



4. Saponaria {Amplicimtis) calyciHiis pyramidatis quin- 

 ■ quangularibus, foliis. ovato-lanceoktis, femiamplexi- 

 caulibus. Sopewort with pyramidal five-cornered empale- 

 mentSy and oval fpear-fioaped leaves^ half embracing the 

 fialks. Lychnis fegetum rubra, foliis perfoliate am- 



N 



plioribus. JuflT. Red Corn Campion, with larger Thorough- 



wax leaves. 



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5. Saponaria (Oricntalis) cafycibiis cylindncis villofis, 

 caule dichotoma credo patulo. Hort. Upfal, 106. 



■ Sopewort with cylindrical haiiy empalements, and ereB 



\ f pre ading fialks which' (ire divided by pairs, [hychnh 

 ^ Orientalis annua fupina, antirrhini folio, flore mini- 

 mo purpurafcente. Tourn. Cor. 25. Low annual Eafi- 

 em Sopewort^ with a Snap-dragon leaf and the leafl pur- 



- plifhfio 





'wer. 



Thefirft fort is the common Sopewort of the fhops ; 

 this grows naturally in many parts of England, and 

 is rarely a4initted into gardens ; it has a creeping 

 root which fpreads far on every fide, fo as in a ftiort 

 time to fill a large fpace. of ground, from which arife 

 many purplifh ftalks about a foot and a half high, 

 which are jointed, and garnifbed with oppofit^e leaves 

 at each j _thefe are oval, fpear-fhaped, and fmooth, 

 about three inches long, and an inch and a half broad, 

 ending in points-, they have three longitudinal veins 

 on their under fide, and are of a pale green. The 

 foot-ftalks of the flowers arife from the wings of the 

 .leaves oppofite they fuftain four, five, or more pur- 

 plifli flowers each, which have generally two fmall 

 leaves placed under them. The^ilalk is alfo termi- 

 nated by a loofe bunch" of flowers growing in form of 

 an umbel ; they have each a large fwelling cylindrical 

 cmpalement, and five broad obtufe petals which fpread 

 open, and are of a purple colour. Thefe appear in 



The fecond fort v/as found growing \\\ a wood near 

 Lichbarrow in Northamptonfhire, by Mr. Gerard. 

 It has been generally eftecmed a lufus naturre, and 

 not a difliind fpecies, but I have never found it alter 

 in forty years j but as it doth not produce feeds, fo 

 there is no certainty of its being a diftinfl: fpecies. 

 The roots of this do not fpread like thofe of the firft, 

 the fialks are fliorter, thicker, and do not grow fo 

 ercift ; they rife a foot or more in height, the joints 

 ?^9-y.^'^ near and fwelling; the leaves are produced 

 fingly on the lower part of their ftaiks, but toward 

 the top they are often placed by pairs ^ they areoval- 

 fhaped, about three inches long and two broad, hav- 

 ing feveral longitudinal veins or plaits, and are hol- 

 lowed like a ladle.^,JThe flowers are difpofed loofely 

 on the top of the flalk, they have large cylindrical 

 empalements ; they are of one petal, and fcarce any 

 vifible ftamina ; they are of a purple colour, and 

 flower in July. This plant is preferved for the fake " 

 of variety in fome gardens, but as there is little beau- 

 ty in the flowers, it does not merit a place in gardens 

 for pleafure. It is eafily propagated by parnng of 

 the roots in autumn^ and loves a moift ihady fi- 

 tuation. 



The third fort is an annual plant, which grows na- 

 turally among Corn in the fouth of France and Italv. 

 1 nis riles with an upright Italk near a foot and a half 



. .high, branching out "upward into feveral cfivifiohs j 

 thefe always are byj)airs oppofite, as are alfo thei 

 leaves, 'which are about an inch and a half long, and 



V^ half art inch broad at their bafe, ending In acute points; 

 they fit clofe to the ftaiks, are fmooth, and of a gray 

 colour.-"- The flowers are pt-oduced at the end of the 



_ branches, each flanding upon a long naked foot-ftalk ; 

 their empalements are large, fwelling, and pyrami- 

 dal, having five acute corners or angles j the petals 



■ are but fmall; they have long necks or tails, which 

 are narrow •, their upper part is obtufe, andiDf ared- 

 difli purple colour, Thefe appear in June and July^ 

 and the feeds ripen in autumn. 

 The fourth fort grows naturally in Spain ; this is alfo 

 an annual plant; it rifes with a ftrong fmoOth Italk • 

 about two feet high, garniflied with oval fpear-fhaped 

 leaves three inches long, and an inch and a half 

 broad near their bafe, drawing to a point at the end ; 

 they areflefhy, of a gray colour, and are very fmooth ; 

 they are placed by pairs, and half embrace the ftaiks 

 ' with their bafe ; the upper part of the ftalk divides 

 into many branches, which are again fubdivided into 

 lono; naked foot-ftalks, each fuftainino; a finale flow- 



I ■■ 



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er ; the empalement of the flower is large, pyrami- 

 dal, and fwelling, having five acute angles. The 

 flowers are compofed of five obtufe red petals, 

 which fpread open flat above the empalement, Thefe 

 appear in June and July, and the feeds ripen in au- 

 tumn. 



The fifth fort grows naturally in the Levant, from 

 whence Dr. Tournefoft fent the feeds. This is a low' 

 annual plant, feldom rifing more than four inches 



' -high. 



,* 



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