te] 
The flowers are fucceeded by {mall round aphale which, when ripe, open in five parts and 
difcharge their fmall duft-like feeds. . 
This plant is a native of Carolina, Virginia, and other parts ia the northern continent of 
America.. They ufually grow on rocks hanging over rivulets and running ftreams, and on the 
fides of barren hills, in a foil the moft fteril and leaft productive I ever faw. Sheep are: 
poifoned by browfing on its leaves; though deer feed on them without harm. 
As all plants have their peculiar beauties, it would feem prefumptuous to aflign to any one 
an elegance beyond all others; yet, confidering the curious ftructure of the flower and the 
beautiful appearance of this whole fhrub, I know of none that has a better claim to be ftiled 
the moft elegant. | 
After fevéral unfuccefsful attempts to propagate it from feeds, I procured plants of it at 
feveral times from America, but with little better fuccefs, for they always dwindled, and pro- 
duced no bloffoms; at length I procured fome plants of it from Pennfylvania, which climate 
being nearer to that of England than that from which mine came, fome bunches of bloffloms 
were produced in July 1740 and 1741, at Fulham, and alfo in the garden of Mr. CotLinson 
at Peckham. : | 
=~ 
s1. Alcea Floridana, quinque capfularis laurinis foliis, leviter crenatis, 
fempiys coniferarum infiar alatis. “ 
The Loblolly Bay. 
This is a tall and very. ftraight tree, with a regular pyramidal- -fhaped head: its leaves in 
figure are like thofe of the common bay-tree, but ferrated, and of a moft delightful fhining 
green. It begins to produce white blofloms in May, and continues bringing forth its flowers 
the greater part of the fummer: the flowers are fixed to foot-ftalks four or five inches long, 
are monopetalous, divided into five fegments, encompafling a tuft of ftamina headed by yellow 
apices ; ; thefe flowers in November are fucceeded by a conic capfula having a divided calix ; 
the capfula when ripe opens, and divides into five feCtions, difclofing many {mall half-winged 
feeds. 
This tree retains its leaves all the year: it grows in very wet places only, and frequently 
two feet deep in water; the wood is fomewhat foft, yet I have feen fome beautiful tables made 
of it. It grows in Carolina, but in none of the more northern colonies. . 
‘ 52.6 Gua- 
