271 



^ 



ered : the flowers are white, produced in a roundlfh terminal umbel, 



and are hermaphrodite or male on feparate plants : the former, which 

 we have figured, ftand in clofe fimple umbels : the involucrum confifts 

 of feveral fmall, tapering, pointed, permanent leaves ; the proper calvx 

 is tubular, and divided at the rim into five fmall teeth : the corolla 

 confifts of five petals, which are fmall, oval, equal, and reflexed : 

 the filaments are five, fhort, and furniihed with fimple anthers : the 

 men is roundifh, placed below the corolla, and fupports two fhort 

 cred ftyles, crowned by fimple fligmata : the fruit is an umbilicated 

 iwo-celled berry, each containing a fingle irregularly heart-fhaped 

 feed. The flowers appear in June. 



Ginfeng was formerly fuppofed to grow only in Chinefe Tartary, 

 affeding mountainous fituations, fhaded by clofe woods ; but it has 

 now been long known that this plant is alfo a native of North America, 

 whence M. Sarrafm tranfmitted fpecimens of it to Paris in the year 

 1704;' and the Ginfeng fmce difcovered in Canada, Penfylvania, 

 and Virginia by Lafiteau,= Kalm,' Bartram,^ and others, has been found 

 to correfpond exadly with the Tartarian fpecies, and its roots are now 

 regularly purchafed by the Chinefe, who confider them to be the fame 

 as thofe of eaflern growth, which are known to undergo a certain 

 preparation, whereby they affume an appearance fomewhat different. 

 For it is faid that in China the roots are wafhed and foaked in a 

 decodion of rice, or millet-feed, and afterwards expofed to the fleam 

 of the liquor, by which they acquire a greater firmnefs and clearne'fs 

 than in their natural flate.* The plant was firfl introduced into 

 England in 1 740 by that induflrious naturalifl Peter Collinfon,' and 

 our figure was drawn from a good fpecimen, growing in the Royal 

 Botanic garden at Kew. 



The dried root of Ginfeng, as imported here, is fcarcely the thick- 

 neis of the little finger, about three or four inches long, frequently- 



ly of Sciences, in the hiftory of 



b 



L. c. d 



publifhed in 17 18. See p. 44 



Rofa til N. America^ t. in. p. 334. « Comm, Nor. 1741. /. 36 



Hort. Kew 



, * The Chlnei; 



thofi 



human for ^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^^ regularly forlced, or have a fancied refemblance 



No, 20^ ^ 



forked 



