: eS: _Charaéier. 2 
Cor. 6-petala. Cal. 3-phyllus. Cap/. femivalvis, 
_ Specific Charafler and Synonyms, 
ARGEMONE mexicana capfulis fexvalvibus, foliis fpinofis, 
aS Linn, Syft. Vegetab. ed.14. Murr. p. 499. 
= ; Ait, Kew. v, 2. p. 225. 
PAPAVER fpinofum. Cluf. Hift. 2. p. 93. . 
-CARDUUS chryfanthemus ‘Peruanus. The Golden Thiftle of - 
Peru. Ger. Herb. p. 993. 
This {pecies of Argemone is a native of Mexico, and the — 
Weft-Indies, where we fhould fuppofe it to be a very common 
and noxious weed, from the name there given it of Fico del in-_ 
Jerno, or the Devil’s Fig: it has long been introduced to this — 
country ; Gerarp, who cultivated it with fuccefs, ludicroufly : 
attributes its nickname to a different fource: “ The golden 
“ Thiftle of Peru, called in the Weft-Indies, Fique del inferno. 
_ © a friend of mine brought it unto me from an iland there, called — 
“ Saint Johns Iland, among other feedes, what reafon the inha- 
“ bitants there have to call it fo it is unto me unknown, unlefs 
* it be bicaufe of his fruite, which doth much refemble a figge 
*‘in fhape and bigneffe, but fo full of fharpe and venemous — 
* prickles, that whofoever had one of them in his throte, doubt- _ 
* Jefs it would fend him packing either to heaven or to hell.” 
__ MILLER mentions it as a plant of no great ufe or beauty, 12 
_ the latter point of view’Ciusius, who was one of the firft to. 
figure and defcribe it, and Gerarp, thought differently; it 
foliage is certainly beautiful, fomewhat like that of the ml 
thiftle, its bloffoms are large and fhewy, though not of Jong 
duration; like the Celandine, the_whole plant abounds with 
yellow juice, which flows out when it is wounded; it differ 
from the poppy, to which it is nearly related, in having 4 
_ calyx of three leaves, - 2 ae ee See 
_ Though a native of a very warm climate, itis cultivated with 
as much facility as any annual whatever; in the gardens aD 
‘London, where it has once grown, and fcattered its feeds, 
comes up fpontaneoufly every fpring, flowers in July an 
Auguift, and ripens its feeds in September; thefe are large 
fomewhat round, of a black colour, with a beautiful furface 
2 light rich foil and warm fituation fuits it bef. 
