* 



V 



N 



N 



i 



The 



J 



There arc two ether fptrcics of tliis which grow na- 

 turally in Englanci, but as they arc fcldom admit- 

 led iniu gardens, I have not enumerated them ; thtfc 

 arc by \o:vx luppofcd to be only accidental varieties^ 

 bur I have fawn them all fcvcral years, and have ne- 

 ver found cither of them alter. 

 Hie tenth fort grows naturally in Candia ; this is an 

 annual plant, whole (talks rife fix or eight inches high, 

 and divide by pairs like the former. The leaves arc 

 rnuch narrower than thofc of the former, end in acute 

 points, and arc fawed on their edges 5 the flov.crs are 

 like thofe of the former fort, but have a fwollen blad- 

 der crrjpalement v;hich inclofes the feeds. 

 The eleventh fcrt grows naturally in Italy. 

 leaves at bottorii are three or four inches long, round- 

 pointed, and deeply notched on their edges i the (talk 

 riles near a foot high, fending out branches by pairs 

 from the joints below -, the upper part divides by 

 pairs in the fame manner as the two' former. The 

 tiov/ers are collecled in globular heads ; they are of 

 herbaceous white colour, and are fucceeded by 

 Harry fruit having fix indentures. It flowers in June, 

 and the feeds ripen in Auguft j this and the former 

 fort are fuppofed to be only varieties, arifingfrom the 

 fame feeds, but I have fown them more than forty 

 years, and have no: obferved cirher of them vary. 

 The twelfth fort grows naturally in the arable fields 

 in Sicily and Spain -, this is an annual plant. The 

 ftalks arc pretty thick, channelled, and of a purplifh 

 colour; they rife eight or nine inches high, and are 

 garniflicd by oval fmooth leaves placed by pairs at 

 each joint, fitting clofe to the ftalks ; they are an 

 inch and a half lon^r, and an inch broad, of a lucid 

 green. From each fide of the ftalk fprings out flai- 

 der branches, but the upper part divides into two 

 fprcading branches like the other. The joints are 

 fwelling, and thefc branches divide again oy pairs ^ 

 thefe are terminated by clufters of red flov/ers, fliaped 

 like thofe of the red Valerian, but larger-, they have 

 two leaves clofc under the bunches, embracing the 

 Italks with their bafe. When the flowers are pair, the 

 fruit ftretches out in fhape of a cornucopia or horn' of 

 pleruy. ''rhe flowers appear in June, and the feeds 

 ripen in autumn. 



Thefc three forts are propagated by feeds, which 



^ fiiould be fown in autumn where the plants are to re- 



huin. When thefe come up, they will rcqulreno 



other culture but to thin them where they are too 

 clofe, and keep them clean from weeds. The plants 

 which rife in autumn, will live through the winter, 

 and come early to flower the following fummer, fo 

 will produce good feeds ; v/hercas thofe which rife in 

 the fpring, do n^t ripen their feeds unlefs the feafon 



proves warm. 

 VALERIANA GR^CA. See Polemonium. 



VALERINELLA. See VALERiAraA. 



VANILLA. Plum. Gen. Nov. 25. tab. 28. Epidcn- 

 drum. Lin. Gen. Plant. 907. 



The Characters are, 

 h his afiT7gkftclL nefc'wers are ir: eluded injheath^ 

 ■bich are dift ant from each other •, they fit upon the ger- 

 fnen^ and have no empalement ; they haz-efive ohlcng pe- 

 tals nvhieh fprcad open ve^y w'ldCy and turbi'nated ne^la- 

 rhiwSy whofe bafes are tuhulous^ fituated on the back fide 

 tf the petals in the middle j their brims are oblique, and bi- 

 fid \ the upper lip isjhort and trijid\ the under one runs 

 .out in a long point -, they have tzvo very Jhort Jlamna fit- 



," 



ting upon the point aU and the fummits drefajlened to the 

 upper lip cf the neHarium ; they have a Icng, fityider^ 

 contorted ger men fiiuated under theflcj^er^ fupporting a 

 ffjortjlylefaftened to the upper lip of the ne^arium^ croxn- 

 ed by an cbfoleteftigma. fhegermen cfterzvard becomes a 

 long, taper, flej/jy pod, including many fi;all feeds. 

 This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond feftion 

 of Linn^eus's twentieth clafs, which includes thofe 

 plants whofe flowers have two ftamina which are con- 



nefted with the fl:yle. 

 The Species are, 

 1/ Vanilla {Mexicana) foliis oblongo-ovatis maicrona- 

 tis, nervofis, floribus akernis. Vanilla ^'ith oblorg. 



cva!. 





2 



c:utep^fitei^ veined h^vrs. drJ /m>ir: grew 

 ing alternately. Volubiliii fiUquofa Mrxicant, plan- 

 taginis folio. Car. Car. 3. p. ;. Atxscan Climber U^ 

 pcds^ and a Pletntjin kff 



Vanilla {Axitlwilus) foliis oblongis obiufis, com- 

 prcflis ariiculatis, floribus alxribus. yahiUa uHb a^ 

 long. Hunt, ccmprejfed, jointed leaves, and Jfcxcrs pra- 

 ceeaingfrchi the fides of tleftalh. 

 The firfl fort is that which the Spaniards cultivate in 

 the Wcft-Indies, which wc ftialldefcribc hereafter. 

 The fccohd fort was fent me from Carthagena in 

 New Spain, where it grows naturally ^ this has a 

 climbing ftalk, which fends out roots from the joints^ 

 which fallen ta the ftcms of trees or any neighbour- 

 ing fupport, and climb to a great height The 

 leaves, which come out fingly at each joint, are ob- 

 long, fmooih, and jointed. The flowers come out 

 from the fide of the branches ; they arc fhaped like 

 thofe of tlie great Bee Orchis, but are longer. The 

 galea or helmet of the flower is of a pale Pink co- 

 lour, and the labia is purple. This plant flowered in 

 the Chelfea Garden, but wanting its proper fupport. 

 It lived but one year. 



Tliere arc two or three varieties of the firft fort, wliich 

 differ in the colour of their flowers ami the length 

 of their pods ; and there are many other fpecles which 



grow naturally in both the Indies, which have been 

 brought to this genus, but thofe above-mentioned arc 

 all 1 have fecn growing. 



The plant which produces the fruit called Vanilla or 

 Baniila, by the Spaniards, hath a trailing flcm, fomc- 

 what like common Ivy, but not fo woody, which 

 faftens itfelf to whatever tree grows near it, by fmall 

 fibres or roots which are produced at every joint, 

 which fafl:en to the bark of the tree, and by which the 

 plants arc often nouriflied^ when they are cut or brok- 

 en off from the root 



a confiderablc height from the 



round, in like manner as the hy is often (^qj^ la 



England. The leaves are as large as thofe of the 

 common Laurel, but arc not quite fo thick •, thefe arc 

 produced alternately at every joint (v;hich arc fix or 

 feven inches afunder,) and are of a lively green colour 

 on the upper fide, but of a paler green underneath. 

 The ftems of thefc plants flioot inio many branches, 

 which faflen ihemfelves alfo to the branches of the 

 trees, by which means they rife to the height of eigh- 

 teen or twenty feet, and fprcad quite over fume of 

 the fmaller trees to which they are joined. The flow- 

 ers are of a greenifli yellow coldilr, mixed with white,- 

 which, when fallen, are fucceeded by the fruit, which 

 are fix or feven inches lonrr. %- - , 



This fort, which is manufaifturcd, grows hot only In 

 the Bay of Campeachy, but alfo at Carthagena, at 

 the Caraccas, Honduras, Darien, ^nd Cayan, at all 

 which places the fruit is gathered and prcferved, but 

 is rarely found in any of the Englifli fettlements in 

 America at prefent, though it might be eafily carried 

 thither and propagated; for the flioots of thefe plants 

 are full of juice, fo may be eafily tranfported, bccaufc 

 they will continue frcfli out of the ground for feveral 

 months. 1 had fome branches of this plant which 

 were gathered by Mr. Robert Millar at Campeachy, 

 and fent over between papers by way of lample ; 

 thefe had been at leaft fix months gathered v.'heo I 

 received them, and upon opening the papers, I found 

 the leaves rotten with themoifl:ure conuined in them, 

 and the paper was alfo periflied with it, but the fliems 

 appeared frefti ; upon which I planted fome of them 

 in fmall pots, and plunged them into a hot-bed of 

 tanners bark, where they foon put out leaves, and 

 fend forth roots from their joints j but, as thefe plants 

 naturally faft;en themfclves to the fl:ems of the trees, 

 in the woods where they grow naturally, It Is with 

 great difficulty that they are'kcjpt alive wlien they 

 have not the fame fupport ; therefore, whoever would 

 preferve any of thefe plants in Europe, fiiould plant 

 them in tubs of earth, near the flcm of fome vigo- 

 rous American tree, which requires a (love, and can 

 bear a great deal of water, becaufe the Vanillas mufl 

 be plentifully watered in the fummer feafon, other- 



13 Q^ wife 



