aS [ 364 ] | 
Virex Necunpo. Five-Leavep Caaste-Trer. — 
Sees sk Ay sels se wey e-she sieeeushe, set ee ; 
Clafs and Order. 
DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA: 
- Generic Charaéter. 
Cal, 5-dentatus, Gor. limbus 6-fidus. Bacca 4-{perma: 
Specific Charaéter and Synonyms, 
VITEX Negundo foliis quinatis ternatifque férratis, floribus 
racemofo paniculatis, Linn, Sy/P. Veg. €d. 14» Murr. 
, AR. Kew. 0, @. 2. 965. - 
vITEX trifolia minor indica. Pluk. Alin. 390. t. 206. 
NEGUNDO arbor mas. Baub Hif. 1. p. 189. 
VITEX chinenfi is. Miller's Did. ed. 6. 4to. 
Mr Arron informs us*, that this deciduous fender fhrub, 
a native of China and the Eaft-Indies, diftinguifhed more for = 
the elegance of its foliage than the beauty oF its flowers, was 
ctiltivated here by the Duchefs of Beaurort, in 1697, at 
_ this prefent time juft one hundred years ago; the plants fo 
cultivated in all probability were loft, as we find Mr. Mitier, 
in deferibing the fame plant in his Di€tionary, under the name 
of chinenfis, thus to exprefs himfelf, “the fourth fort, viz. 
“ chinenfis, has been lately introduced into the Englifh gar- 
dens from Paris, where the plants were raifed from feeds 
“ which were fent from China by the miffionaries.s I was 
“ favoured with fome young plants, by Monf. Ricitarn, 
** gardener to the king, at Verfailles. The two forts with — 
- “ white and blue flowers have fucceeded in the Chelfea ¢ gar- 
« den, but that with red flowers mifcarried.”. It would aps 
pear from this account, that the Vilex Negundo was a common 
object of ornamental culture amongft the Chinefe, fince they | 4 
poffeifed fo many varieties of it in point of colour; the purple 
flowered one. is, we believe, the only fort’ cultivated i in our 
nurferies, and that not commonly ; it bloffoms: late in Se 3 
-fummer, and poffeffes fome fragrance. = 
The plant is not difficult to increafe by cuttings, bene toe 
tender to bear our winters, at leaft thofe which are fevere ; 
it is commonly kept in the greenhoufe,. Miiier very per- 
tinently remarks, “ that the plants are late in putting out leaves — 
* in the fpring, and before thefe appear, they have fo much the 
ae ‘appearance of dead plants, that they have been turned out 
_.“ of the pots by ome, fuppofing they: were fo." 
* Hort. Kew. 
