IS! Y S 



N Y S 



When they have been once fixccl to the place 

 in this way, they iimltiply greatly, so as to cover 

 such places in a short tinu-. 



They are also capable oF being cultivated in 

 large troughs or cisterns ot" water, having earth 

 at tlie bottom-, flourishing very well, and pro- 

 ducing annually large quantities of flowers. 



The third and fourth species, as being tender, 

 sliould be kept in such troughs or cisterns, and 

 be set in a corner of the stove. In their native 

 situations tliev are increased both by their "roots 

 and seeds as the common sorts in this climate. 



NYSSA, a genus containing a plant of the 

 acjuatic ornamental tree kind. 



It bclonas to the class and order Po/T/jjaw/a 

 Dioecia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 HolmacecB. 



The characters arc : that in the male the 

 calyx is a five-parted perianthium, spreading, 

 with a plane bottom : there is no corolla : the 

 stamina have ten awl-shaped filaments, shorter 

 than the calyx : anthers twin, the length of 

 the filaments : hermaphrodite — the calyx is a 

 perianthium as in the male, sitting on the germ : 

 there is no corolla; the stamina have five awl- 

 shaped filaments, erect: anthers simple: pis- 

 tillum is an ovate germ, inferior: style awl shaped, 

 curved inwards, longer than the stamens: stig- 

 ma acute : the pcricarpium is a drupe : the seed 

 is an oval nut, acute, scored with longitudinal 

 grooves, angular, irregular. 



The species are : 1. N. integrlfoUa, Moun- 

 tain Tupelo ; 2. N. dentkulata, Water Tupelo. 



The first rises with a strong upright trunk 

 to the height of thirty or forty feet, and some- 

 times near two feet in diameter; sending oflT 

 jnanv horizontal, and often depending branches : 

 the leaves are obovate, a little pointed, en- 

 tire, of a dark green and shining upper surface, 

 l)ut lighter and a little hairy underneath : those 

 of the male trees are often narrower and some- 

 times lance-shaped. The flowers are produced up- 

 on pretty long common footstalks, arising from 

 the base of the young shoots, and dividing 

 irregularly into several parts, generally from 

 six to ten, each supporting a small flower, hav- 

 ing a calyx of six or seven unequal leaves, and 

 from six to eight awl-shaped spreading stamens, 

 supporting short four-lobed anthers : the female 

 trees have fewer flowers produced upon much 

 longer simple cylindrical footstalks, thickened at 

 the extremity, and supporting generally three 

 flowers, sitting close, and having a small invo- 

 lucre. They are composed of five small oval 

 leaves, and in the centre an awl-shaped incurved 

 style, arising from the oblong gernj, which is 

 inferior^ and becomes an oval oblong berry, of 

 4 



a dark purplish colour wlien ripe : the timber is 

 close-grained, and curled so as not to be split or 

 parted ; and therefore much used for wheels. 

 Sec. It grows naturally in Pennsylvania, and 

 perhaps elsewhere. 



The second species rises with a strono' uprifjht 

 trunk to the height of eighty or a hundred feet 

 in its native situation, dividing into many 

 branches towards the top : the leaves are prctt'v 

 large, of an oval-spear-shaped form, generallV 

 entire, but sometimes somewhat toothed, and 

 covered underneath with a whitish down : rtjcv 

 are joined to long slender footstalks, and affixed 

 to the branches in somewhat of a verticillate or- 

 der, presenting a beautiful varied foliage : the 

 berries are near the size and shape of small 

 olives, and are preserved as that fruit is by the 

 French inhabitants upon the Missisippi, where 

 it greatly abounds, and is called the Olive-tree : 

 the tin)ber is white, and soft when unseasoned, 

 but light and compact when dry, which renders 

 it very proper for making trays, bowls, &c. It 

 grows naturally in wet swamps, or near larii'e 

 rivers, in Carolina and Florida. 



CuUiire. — These trees may be increased by 

 sowing the seeds procured from the places where 

 they grow naturally, putting thein into the 

 ground as soon as they are procured, as they lie 

 Jong before they vegetate. 



They should be sown in pots filled with liiTht 

 loamy earth, placing them where they may have 

 only the morning sun ; and during the first sum- 

 mer the pots should be kept clean from weeds, 

 being well watered in dry wearlier. The pots 

 should be plunged into the ground in the fol- 

 lowing autumn ; and, if the winter prove severe, 

 cover them with old tan, peas-haulm, or other 

 similar light covering. And in the following 

 spring they should be plunged into a moderate 

 hot-bed, hooped and covered over with mats ; 

 keepina; the earth constantly moist. 



By this means the plants are brought up in the 

 spring, when^they should be gradually hardened 

 to bear the open air ; and during the following 

 sunniicr, the pots again plunged into an eastern 

 border, watering them in dry weather, care- 

 fully removing them into a frame in the au- 

 tumn, where they may be screened from frost j 

 but in mild weather be exposed to the open air. 

 In the spring following, before they begin 

 to shoot, they should be parted carefully, plant- 

 ing each in a small pot filled with loamy mould j 

 and when thev are plunged into a moderate hot- 

 bed, it will promote their putting out new roots ; 

 after w hich thev may be plunged in an eastern bor- 

 der, and be sheltered again in winter undcraframe. 

 In the third spring, such plants as have made 



