672 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO J 762. 



phylacium, and there found an engraving of this plant, pi. 448, n. 4, and that it 

 was twice mentioned in his Amaltheuin, pages 29, 212. 



From the observations which Dr. Plukenet,* Dr. Petiver, and Mr. Ray+ 

 had received from Mr. Cunningham, Dr. S. learned that the Chinese use the seeds 

 of gardenia jasminoides as a scarlet dye ; and as the mucilaginous substance in 

 which the seeds are involved, seems to be very copious and rich of colour, he 

 imagines must be worth inquiry, whether this shrub may not be found, and 

 transported to such of the British colonies where it might be propagated ; and 

 perhaps become one of the most useful plants, as it is now one of the most 

 beautiful. He tried these seeds in water, spirits, and other liquors, and always 

 found them tinge the menstruum" yellow, notwithstanding they had been ga- 

 thered near 80 years. 



To confirm himself in the discovery he had made, he obtained leave to look 

 over the collections of dried plants in the British Museum, where many are pre- 

 served, that can no where else be met with, and by the assistance of the assiduous 

 Mr. Empson, he found several good specimens of this valuable shrub, viz. in 

 Hort. Sice. XX, p. 25, 86; xciv, p. 130 ; ccxLVii, p. 25 ; cclxxxix, p. 33 ; 

 and cccxxxi, p. 90 ; all gathered in the East Indies by Mr. Cunningham. The 

 greater part of these specimens were in fruit, but one or two with perfect blos- 

 soms, and they were so exactly corresponding with Mr. Ellis's account, that he 

 could find nothing to alter or add to it. 



There is however one thing he would not omit mentioning, as it may in some 

 measure account for the unequal number of the divisions in the double blossoms ; 

 it is that some of the specimens at the British Museum have their calyx divided 

 into 5, and others into 6 sigments or wings, which show that the inequality is 

 not altogether peculiar to the double flowers ; and Dr. S. had drawings made 

 from the best samples he could find in the collection, the better to explain what 

 he has said ; viz. pi. 15, fig. a, shows a specimen with a single blossom ; %. b, 

 another with the fruit, both gathered in China by Mr. Cunningham ; fig. c, a 

 capsul with only 5 divisions in the calyx (which Dr. S. supposes to be the natural 

 number) taken from another dried specimen of the same gentleman's ; fig. d, a 

 transverse section of the same capsule, to show the two cells, with many seeds in 

 them ; and fig. e represents the seeds of their natural size. 



It may not be amiss here to insert what is said relative to the names of this 



* Semina linctoribus inserviunt, iis enim ab indigenis Sinensibus optime tingitur nobilis ille color, 

 quem escarlatinum nostrates vocant, ut iios monuit vir multiplicis industriae^ atque indefessi laborU 

 hac in parte D. Jacobus Cunninghamus. Plukn. Amalth. p. 29. — Orig, 



f Hujus fructus Celebris est, et in frequenti nsu apud Chinensesad colorem cocci neum, seuscaila- 

 linura tingendum. Ray Hist. iii. p. 233. — Orig. 



