f^ 



' I 



/ 



r" 



. > 





S P 



in roundifli bunches at the end of the branches ; tlney 

 are white, with fome fpots of a pale red. It flowers 

 in June. This is commonly known in the nurferies 

 b-'^ the title of Virginia Gelder Rofe, with a Currant 

 leaf i it may be propagated and managed in the fame 

 manner as the former, and is equally hardy. 

 The third came originally from Canada, but is now 

 as common in the nurfery-gardens as cither of the for- 

 mer, where it is known by the title of Hypericum 

 Frutex, but has no affinity to St. Johnfworc, and is 

 only fo called from the refemblance of their leaves ; 

 ' this rifcs with feveral flenderlhrubby ftalks five or fix 

 feet high, covered with a dark brown bark, fending 

 out fmall fide branches the whole length, garnifhed 

 with fmall wedge-fhaped entire leaves, which have 

 many pundures on their furface like St. Johnfwort. 

 The flowers are difpofed in fmall umbels which fit 

 clofe to the ftalks, each flower ftanding upon a long 

 flcnder foot-ftalk •, they are white, compofed of five 

 roundiih petals which fpread open, and in the center 

 have a great number of ftamina almoft equal in length 

 with the petals.' This fort flowers in May and June, 

 and as the flowers are produced almoft the length of 

 the branches, the fhrubs make a good appearance 

 during the time of their flowering.. 

 This may be propagated by laying down the under 

 branches, which will take root in the compafs of one 

 year, when they may be taken oft", and planted in a 

 nurfery for two or three years (as hath been direfted 

 for the former •,) after which they may be tranfplanted 

 out where they are defigned to remain, placing them 

 with the two former, being hearly of the fame growth, 

 where they will add to the variety. .' •'■'■ i • v;.- . • v 

 The fourth fort grows naturally in Spain •, this is not 

 very common at prefent in the Enghfh gardens. The 

 ■whole appearance of this fhrub is fo like the third, as 

 : not to be diftinguiflied at a fmall diftance •, the only 

 difference being, that the leaves of this are broadef at 

 .the point, where they have two or three indentures. 

 The flowers are like thofe of the former, and appear 

 at the fame time. This may be propagated in the 

 fame way as the former. 



The fifth fort grows naturally in Philadelphia ; this is 



a fhrub of lower ftature than the former. The ftalks 



- are flender, and branch out near the ground -, they 



. have a purple bark covered with a gray meally down. 



The leaves are fpear-fhaped, but fmaller than thofe 



of the firft fort, and are unequally fawed^.they are 



downy and veined on their under fide, but are of a 



bricrht- green above. The branches are tefmma'ted 



by^ thick racemus of flowers, which are branched 



toward the bottom into fmall fpikes j the flowers are 



very fmall, of a beautiful red colour, and appear in 



. July; the fpikes of this are longer than thofe of the 



The fixth fort grows naturally in North America- 

 this rifes with ftirubby ftalks like the firft, but fends 

 out horizontal branches which are flender, and cover- 

 ed with a brown bark. ,. The leaves are fpear-ftiaped, 

 of a thin texture, and a bright green colour on boj:h 



- fides J they are flighty fawed on their edges, but the 

 faws are acute. ■ The flowers are difpofed in panicles 



■ at the end of the branches; they are fmall, white, 

 and of the fame tonftruftion of the former, having 



• ■ many ftamina \vhich are a little longer than the petals, 

 i terminated by large, roundifli, brown fummits. This 



S P 



> 



"v^ ^-mW 



'_ I 



fort flowers the beginning of Auguft. 

 ■ Thefe forts are propagated in the fame way as the firft, 



but,^ as fome of them do not put out fuckers from 

 • thei'r roots here in any plenty, their branches Ihould 



be laid down in autumn, which in one year will take 



root, and may thfn be planted where they are defign- 

 , ed to remain, or into a nurfery, where they may ftand 



one or two' years to get ftrength before they are 



planted out for good. 

 . The feventh fort grows naturally in North America -, 

 this hath a perennial root, but the ftalks are annual, 

 and rife about afoot high, fending out branches from 

 the fide their whole length'; thefe are garniflied with 

 leaves, which for the moft part are trifoliate, but are 



their edges, of a bright 

 and pale on their under, 

 loofe panicles at the top 

 on flender foot-ftalks 



the plants will not come up till 



When the 



rometimi^s fingle, and at others by pairs ; they arc 

 about an inch and a half long, and halt an inch broad, 

 ending in acute points ; they are fl^arply fawed on 



green on their upper fide. 

 The flowers are difpofed in 

 of the ftalks, ftanding up- 

 they have five long Ipear- 

 ftiaped petals which fpread open, and a great many 

 ftamina which are no longer than the tube of the flow- 

 er. This fort flowers in July, and the feeds ripen in 



■ 



September. 



It is propagated by feeds, which fliould be fown on a 



ftiady border foon after they are ripe, for if they are 



fown in the fpring, 



the year after, and many times fail. 



plants appear, they muft be conftantly kept clean from 



weeds, but they ftiould not be removed rill autumn, 



when their leaves begin to decay ; then they may be 



either tranfplanted where they are defigned to remain, 



or into a nurfery-bed,. where they may grow a year 



or two to get ftrength before they are planted out 



for" good, t This plant loves a fliady fituation and a 



moift light foil. .. 



The eighth fort is the common Dropwort, which 

 grows plentifully upon chalky grounds in many parts 

 of England. The roots of this confift of a great num- 

 ber of oval knobs or glandules, which are faftencd 

 together by flender fibres, from whence it had the 

 title of Dropwort ; the leaves fpread near the furface 

 of the ground, are winged, feven or eight inches 

 long, and compofed of m^ny fawed lobes, which are 

 almoft placed alternately along the midrib; thofe 

 near the bafe are the fiT)alleft, the others increafe in ^ 

 fize to the middle^ afterward decreafe again to the 

 point, apdfit clofe to the midrib. ,.The flower-ftalk 

 rifes a foot or more in height, and has feldom more 

 " than one leaf upon it; the top is garniflaed with loofe 

 bunches of fmall white flowers, itanding upon flen- 

 der foot-ftalks which are conftrufted like thofe of the , 

 other forts, but are fucceeded by ^feveral capfules, 

 ..which are ranged circularly : it flowers in June. The 

 roots of thefe plants are ufed in medicine, and are 

 accounted diuretic. , It is rarely kept in gardens, 

 but there is a variety of this v/ith double flowers, 

 which was found growing naturally in the north of 

 England, that is kept in gardens for the fake of 



variety. ■- ^-:- -^- .- ' - .-'- •_■ "' :■.'-■ - ■' ^ ■ 



The ninth fort was given me many years fince by the 

 late Dr. Boerhaave of Leyden, but from whence he 

 received it I do not know, -The leaves of this are 

 much longer and narrower than thofe of the common 

 fort ; ' the lobes of the leaves are unequal- in length,' 

 fome being two incKes and a'half long, and others not 

 more than one inch ; they are fawed on their edges ; 

 the fegmcnts are oppofite, and ranged like the lobes 

 of wino-ed leaves. The flower-ftalk rifes much high- 

 ^cr, and fuftains a much larger bunch of flowers. This 

 .flowers at the fame time with the other. .: •', - . ^^ 

 The tenth fort grows naturally on the fides of waters, 

 ^and in low moift meadows in moft parts of Eng- 

 land. '. The ftalks are angular, red, and rife three or 



four feet high. 



flifd 



pofed of two or three pair of large indented lobes, 

 ..terminated by an odd one, which is much larger than 



the other, and divided into three parts or lobes ; they 



'. are of a dark green on their upper fide, but hoary on 



, their under. The ftall* are terminated by large loofe 



■ bunches of white flowers, which have an agreeable 



fcent ; thefe appear in June, aid arc lucceeded by 



roundifli capfules, twifted like a fcrew, filled with 



fmall feeds. ' , ^ \ 



The leaves and tops of this plant are ufed in medicine, 

 but the plants are rarely kept in gardens. There is a 

 variety of this with double flowers which is kept in 

 fome gardens, and one with variegated leaves. 

 The eleventh fort grows naturally upon the moun- 

 tains in Auftria ; this hath a perennial root, and an 

 annual ftalk which rifes from three to four feet high, 

 earniftied with decompounded winged leaves, which 



are compofed of feveral doubly-winged leaves, each 



having 



/ . 



I." 



■^- 



