VOL. LII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. - 6^73 



shrub, by such botanical writers as he had an opportunity to consult. The first 

 author that gives an account of this plant, is Dr. Plukenet, after him Mr. Peti- 

 ver, and Mr. Ray ; but none of them have given a true botanical name or descrip- 

 tion, much less referred it to its proper class, order, or genus ; and notwithstanding 

 so many good specimens were preserved in the botanical collections of Sir Hans 

 Sloane, now in the British Museum, it was not further noticed till the ingenious 

 Mr. Miller, of Chelsea, gave the description and drawing in his Gardener's Dic- 

 tionary and Figures of Plants, from the plant he saw at Mr. Warner's garden. 

 Mr. Ehret soon afterwards published a most elegant figure of it, and Mr. Ellis 

 at last completed the botanical description, in the Phil. Trans. 



Those gentlemen have mentioned this shrub, under the following names : 

 Arbuscula Sinensis, myrti majoris folio, vasculo seminali hexagono, ad singulos 

 angulos alis foliaceis munito, quae porrectae vasculi coronam efFormant, Umki 

 Sinensibus dicta. Plukn. Amalth. p. 29. 



Umki, alias Umuy ; cujus fructum ad colorem escarlatinum tingendum in- 

 servit; fiorem fert rosaceum, album, hexapetalum. Plukn. Amalth. p. 212. 

 tab. 448. f. 4. 



Frutex cynosbati fructu alato, tinctorio, barbulis longioribus coronato. 

 Petiv. Mus. p. 498. Ray. Hist. III. p. 233. 



Jasminum foliis lanceolatis oppositis integerrimis, calycibus acutioribus. Mill. 

 Diet. n. 7. Mill. %. ISO. 



Jasminum ? ramo unifloro pleno, petalis coriaceis. Ehret. fig. 



Gardenia jasminoides. Ellis, Philos. Trans. 1760, p. 929, tab. 23. 



One circumstance still remains to be inquired into, namely, the native place 

 of this shrub. That it grows spontaneously in China and the neighbouring 

 countries, he does not in the least doubt, because Dr. Linnaeus has had his spe- 

 cimen from thence ; and Mr. Cunningham tells us, in his time, it was found 

 there in such plenty, that they could collect and use its seeds for dying. Nei- 

 ther does he doubt that Capt. Hutchenson procured the plant he brought over 

 from the Cape of Good Hope, especially as there are specimens of it with 

 double blossoms among the curious plants that were brought over from that 

 place to Mr. Desmarets, now in the British Museum, Hort. Sice, cclxi, p. 30. 

 But as those have double flowers, and having never heard of any with single 

 blossoms being gathered in that country. Dr. S. can scarcely believe it is an indi- 

 genous plant there, but rather imagines that it must have been brought thither 

 from the East Indies, either by accident or for their gardens. 



Dr. S. once more repeats, that as this plant may probably be of real benefit 

 by improving the art of dying, he would beg leave therefore to recommend it to 

 all pulDlic-spirited gentlemen, to use their best endeavours, for discovering and 

 bringing over from the East Indies some single blossomed plants, or the seeds, 



vol. XI. 4 R 



