ASP 



Richar<T. j. A. tattrina, brond-leaved woodioof ; " leaves 

 four in a wliorl, ovate-ianccolate ; flowers in terminal 

 bunches." Root perennial, woodv ; Hems a foot high, 

 branched ; leaves hairy, nerved ; peduncles one or two ; 

 bradtes ciliate. A native of the mountn.ins of SwifTerlaiid 

 and Italy, flowcrinfj in June. It was cultivated by Miller 

 in 1739. 4. A. cnififrjltci, thick-leaved woodroof ; "leaves 

 four in a whorl, oh!on!»-lateral, revolute, bluntilh, pubef- 

 ccnt." Stem alternately branching ; leaves the length of 

 the interntides , the whorls on the branches more remote, 

 and leaves narrower, unequal ; flowers fcv\-, in npnght ter- 

 minal branches, pubefcent on the outfide. A native of 

 Crete and the Levant, flowering in June. Introduced here 

 by Monf. Thouin, in 1 775. 5. A. calabricii, Calabrian 

 woodroof, I^'ilerit. ftirp. nov. 4. 65. t. 32. " Leaves 

 four in a whorl, oblc.ig, obtufe, ftr^cAth, and even." An 

 nnder.'hnib, a cubit high, decumbent, fcctid. Leaves linear- 

 lanceolate, one-nerved ; there is a fliort iliavp upright ftipule 

 between tlie leaves, half embracing the Hem ; flowers three 

 or four, in tenninHting corymbs ; brafte two-leaved, acute, 

 fpreading a little bihuvthc germs. A native of Syria. The 

 fa:tid fmell of this fufliciently dillinguiHies it from the other 

 fpecie's. 6. h.. UnP.or'in, narrow-leaved woodroof; "leaves 

 linear, the lower fix, the middle four, in a whorl; Hem 

 flaccid; flowers generally trifid." Stem brandling, pro- 

 cumbent, three feet in length ; leaves refembling tiiofe 

 of wild thyme ; pednncles from the axillae of the leaves, 

 forming little umbels ; flowers white ; feeds fmooth. 

 The roots are ufed in Gothland for dying wool of a 

 red colour. A native of Sweden, Germany, Swiflerland, 

 &c. Cultivated by Mr. James Gordon in 1764. "j.A.py- 

 ntimca, Pyrencan woodroof; " leaves four in a whorl, lan- 

 ceolate-linear ; ftem ereA ; flowers generally trifid." Root 

 pereiuiial ; ftems fix or feven inches high ; leaves keeled, 

 acute, fmooth ; lower ones fhorter, more obtnfc, lanceolate; 

 upper and floral leaves oppofite, broader ; flowers red. A 

 native of the Pyrenees, and abcuit Bafd. 8. A. nnanchka, 

 fqninancy-wort, or fmall woodroof. Hiidf. 66. With. 186. 

 Smith Brit. 173. Eng. Bot. 33. Rubicola vulg. &c. Ray 

 Syn. 2i J. " Leaves four in a whorl, linear ; the upper ones 

 ve;7 unequal ; flowers all quadrifid ; fruit fmooth." Root 

 perennial, fibrous ; lower leaves in fours, on the branches 

 obovate ; upper leaves linear, and thofc near the top very 

 unequal, fo that the intermediate pair fcems dlminidied into 

 ft'pules ; umbels terminal ; corollas of a fltfh colour, marked 

 with red liner-, fragrant; fruit fmooth. It grows in Eng- 

 lar.d on warm banks, afledting a calcareous foil. 9. A.ari- 

 Jlala, awn-flowered woodroof; " leaves linear, rather flefhy ; 

 lower ones four in a whorl ; flowers fubtern awned." Stem 

 vprigb.t ; ftowers pale, yellowiib, placed pnralltl, divifions 

 bluntly awned. A native of the fouth of Europe. 10. A. 

 Ixvir-itiT, fhining woodroof; galium rotundifolitim, Jacq. 

 Anil. I. 58. 1.94. "Leaves four in a whorl, elliptic, 

 nervelefs, fmoothifh ; pednncles divaricate, trichotomous ; 

 feeds rougl.ifb." Stem; finiple, fmooth, fpreading; leaves 

 fubpetioled,- obtufe ; flowering branches horizontal, bifid ; 

 braAes two, fmall, lanceolate ; flowers white, \ifually in 

 threes. 11. A.. hcxaphyHa, fi.K-leaved woodroof, Allion Ped. 

 t. 77. "Leaves fix in a whorl, linear; flowers umbellcd, 

 terminal, fubfefllle." Root perennial ; ftems generally 

 fimple ; leaves acuminate, fiat, ercft ; umbels accompanied 

 with ten or twelve leaves ; corollas purple, white within ; 

 fegmcr.ts a little revolute ; feeds obloncf, compreifcd. It 

 grows in the fiffurcs of rocks near Tende. 



Propagation and Culture. All thefe plajits being peren- 

 nial, except the fecor.d, may be increafcd by the roots as 

 well as by the feeds. I'he firll fori will piofper under tlie 



ASP 



(hade of (lirubs in wildcrncfs quarters. The fifth mud 'nave 

 the protedion of a green-houfe, and does not continue 

 many years ; but may be increaf;:d both by feeds and cut- 

 tings. The eiglith growing naturally in ciialk, and moft of 

 the others being natives of rocks, mull have a dry open 

 fitnation. Martyn's Miller's Diet. 



ASPERUM, in Coiicho/ojy, a fpecies of Buccin-um, 

 about an inch and an half in length. It is figured by Lillcr, 

 but its hab'ilal is unknown. The whorls of the ipire are 

 ribbed, and ilriatcd traiifverfcly ; the firll i: gibbous, and 

 the tail (or beak) rather prominent. Gmelin, &c. 



ASPET, in Gio^r»phy, a town of Fiance, in the de- 

 partment of the L'pper Garonne, and chief place of a caur 

 ton in the dillridl oi St. Gaudens ; two leagues fouth-ea(l 

 of St. Gaudens. 



ASPEYTIA, a town of Spain, in the province of Gui- 

 pufcoa, feven leagues from St. Scballiau. 



ASPHALITES, in yinatomy, the fifth vertebra of the 

 loins. It is thus called, becaule conceived as the ftipport of 

 the whole fpine of the loins ; from the privative a and 

 ir?«.\>.i;, I fupphint. 



ASPHALTITE L.^ke, in Geography, a lake of Pa- 

 lefline, fo called from the great quantity of bitumen, called 

 afphallnm, which it produces. It has alfo been called tl:e 

 Dead Sea, from a fuppofition that no fifties will live in ir, 

 and that birds, which have attempted to fly over it, have 

 been fuffocated. From its fiiuation, it has been denomi- 

 nated the Eajl Sea ; and diftinguifhed by other appellations, 

 as the Salt ?ea, the Sea of Sodom, the Sea of the Defert, 

 and the Sea of the Plain, by the facrcd wjitings. Its origin 

 has been afcribcd to the fubmerfion of the vale of Siddim, . 

 where oncc Hood, according to common report, the three 

 cities which perilhcd, in the miraculous conflagration, with 

 thofe of Sodom and Gomorrah. Tliefe cities have, on ac- 

 count of their number, been called Pentapolis. Strabo, 

 however, on the authority of an ancient and received tra- 

 dition, reckoned thirteen of thefe cities, of which Sodom, 

 was the capital ; and he adds, that they were ovL-rthrown 

 by a violent earthquake occailoned by fubteiraneous fire, 

 that threw up this great and fulphureous lake, in which ail 

 thofe cities were fwailowed up. Jofephus likewife affures 

 us, that in the overthrow of Sodom, this vale became the 

 lake Afplialtites. It has been faid, that the ruins of thefe 

 cities are ftill to be fceii in clear weather ; and we likewife 

 read of apples that grew about it, fair wilhou.t, but bitter 

 to the tafte and filled with afties ; whichadded to the deadly 

 nature of its water and fmoke, afforded another cviden.ce of 

 the divine indignation. Soire of tiie ciicumftances thai have 

 been recited concerning this lake, and which have long ob- 

 tained credit, have been eontru'.itted by the tcftimoiiy of 

 more modern travellers. Although it was long tho ight thiit 

 nothing would fink in the waters of this lake, and that no 

 animal could five in it, yet L'r. Pococke affures us, that 

 much as their fpecific gravity is augmented by the fait with 

 which they are impregnated, fevtral perfons, and among 

 others this writer himfelf, fwam and dived in this lake, 

 and birds have flown over it with fafety. It is poffible,, 

 indeed, that the fpecific gravity of the water of this lake 

 may have been diminiihed fince the experiments made by 

 Vefpafian, anc recited by i'liny (N.H. 1. v. c. 15.), be- 

 caufe great qu?iitities of the bitumen ha»e been coUeiled 

 and rerioved, and this lake has b-en fupplied with copious 

 ftrciins of frefti water. Mr. Kirwan fays (Analyfis of Mi- 

 rerai Water.-, p. 144.), that t!ie heaviclt water of which lu; 

 luis met with any account is that of this lake. Lavoifitr 

 found it 1.2403, and that it contaiiied 44.4 per cent, of fa- 

 line matter, of which 6.25 parts were common faJt, and. 



