M E 



mcr, anJ its Branches become more 

 woody. 



MELILOTUSj Melilot. 

 The Characicrs arcj 



It hath it papilionaceous Tlomer-y 

 out of whofe impalement crifes the 

 Fointal, which afterwards becomes a 

 naked dipfule, that is not hid in 

 the Empalement (as in Trefoil) preg- 

 nant with one or two roundifJj Seeds : 

 To thefe Notes may be added, the 

 Leaves grow by Threes on the Foot- 

 jlalks, and the Flowers are produced 

 in a Spike. 



The Species are ; 



1. Melilotus i officinarum, Ger- 

 maniA, C. B. P. Common Me- 

 likt. 



2. Melilotus; fruticofa, Candi- 

 da, major ^ Mor. HiJ}. Shrubby Me- 

 lilot, with a white Flower. 



3. Melilotusj major, odorata, 

 •violacea, Mor Hiji. Greater fweet- 

 fcciited Melilot, with a Violet-co- 

 lour'd Flower, commonly call'd Sweet 

 Trefoil, or Lotus Urbana. 



There are feveral Species of this 

 Plant, which are preferv'd in curi- 

 ous Botanick Gardens for Variety j 

 but as they are Plants of little 

 Beauty or Ufe, Co I fhall pafs them 

 over without namino:. The firH: 

 Sort here mentioned, is that uled 

 to make the Melilot Flaifler : This 

 is found wild in feveral Parts of 

 Fngland, but is generally cultivated 

 in fome Gardens near London, from 

 whence the Markets are fupply'd 

 with it. The iecond Sort is by 

 ibme fappos'd to be only a Varie- 

 ty of the tiril, differing in the Co- 

 lour of its Flowers ; but this is a 

 Miflake, for the whole Plant has a 

 very different Appearance, the 

 Leaves being narrower, the Stalks 

 much taller, nor has it near fo 

 ftrong a Scent. The third Sort is 

 fometimes ufed in Medicine, but 



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is rarely cultivated except in Bota- 

 nick Gardens. 



Thefe may be all cultivated by 

 fbwing their Seeds in March, upon 

 a Bed of light Earth j and when 

 the Plants are come up, they fliould 

 either be tranfplanted out, or hoed, 

 fo as to leave 'em eight or ten In- 

 ches afunder (efpecially the two 

 firft Sorts, which will abide two 

 or three Years, and grow very 

 large) obfervjng to keep them 

 clear from Weeds, and the Auguji 

 following they will flower ; when 

 they may be cut for Ufe, v/hich 

 will caufe them to pufli out new 

 Shoots, whereby the Roots will 

 be maintain'd through the Winter, 

 •and flower in May or the Beo^in- 

 ning of June the lucceeding Year. 

 The cutting off the Shoots when 

 the Plant is in flower, will main- 

 tain the Roots much longer than 

 if they were permitted to ftand 

 till the Seeds are ripe, fo that thofe 

 Roots you intend for Seeds, muft 

 not be depended on to ifand very- 

 long. 



The third Sort is an annual Plant, 

 which may be fown as the two 

 former, but fhould not be tranf^ 

 planted, but rather hoed out to 

 the Diftance of five or fix Inches, 

 and permirted to remain in the 

 fame Place, obfervingto keep them 

 clear from Weeds, and they will 

 flower in June, and their Seeds 

 will be ripe in Auguji, 



MELISSA i Baulm. 

 The CharaBers are ; 



Jt is a verticillate Flant, with tt 

 lahiated Flower, conjifting of one 

 Leaf, whofe Upper-lip is roundifl^, 

 upright, and divided into two; but 

 the Under-lip is cut into three Farts : 

 Out of the Flower-cup rifes the Foin^ 

 tal, which is attended, as it were, 

 mtb four Embryo's ; thefe after- 

 wards 



