SPA 



Kcw garden in 17741 where it flowers in the greenhoufe, in 

 April. We prefume this to be nearly akin to the lalt. The 

 leaves in the original fpecimen are lilky, not villous ; each 

 ieaflet above an inch long. Flowers large, in terminal foli- 

 tary clujlers. Calyx bell-fhaped, fmooth, coloured. Petals 

 reddifti. Legume long, with the rudiments of mzny feeds, 

 only one of which is faid to come to perfeftion. 



Spartium, in Gardening, contains plants of the deciduous 

 and evergreen kinds, among which the fpecies cultivated are 

 the common broom (S. Icoparium) ; the Spaniih broom 

 (S. junceum) ; the ftarry broom (S. radiatum) ; the white- 

 flowered fingle-feeded broom (S. monofpermum) ; the yel- 

 low-flovvered fingle-feeded broom (S. fphaerocarpum ) ; the 

 fcorpion broom (S. fcorpius); the angular-branched broom 

 (S. angulatum) ; and the prickly broom (S. fpinofum). 



In the firft fpecies there are feveral varieties, fome of 

 which merit a place among flowering (hrubs ; as that with a 

 purple calyx, and the flowers ftrongly tinged with orange, 

 as well as that which is very hoary. 



The fecond fpecies has alfo a variety with double flowers. 



Method of Culture. — The three firft forts are hardy, but 

 the others more tender, efpecially in their young growth. 

 And they are all capable of being raifed from feeds, and the 

 double-bloffomed forts alfo by layers and cuttings. The 

 feeds fliould be fovvn in the early fpring, as about April ; 

 the hardy forts in beds of common earth, either in drills, or 

 by bedding in to the depth of an inch : but in the tender 

 ferts, in pots or beds hooped over to proteft them in frofty 

 weather. In the following fpring they (hould be removed 

 into nurfery-rows or larger pots, according to the kinds, 

 fhortening their tap-roots, and fetting them out in rows two 

 feet apart, at the diftance of one in the rows, to remain two 

 or three years, when they may be planted out in the flirub- 

 bery, or other places where they may be wanted : the tender 

 forts in pots, being removed to the greenhoufe or garden for 

 proteftion in winter, and managed as the hardy forts of 

 plants of this kind. 



But the layers fliould be laid down in the autumn or 

 fpring, and the cuttings may be planted out in the fpring 

 or fummer, fome in the open ground, and others in pots 

 plunged in the hot-bed, to promote their itriking root. 

 They may be managed afterwards as the other forts. This 

 is the only certain mode of preferving the varieties. 



All the hardy forts are very ornamental in the borders, 

 clumps, and other parts, and the tender kinds in greenhoufe 

 coUeftions, and among other more hardy potted plants. 



It is conilantly proper, as a precautionary pradlice, to have 

 fome of the tender forts of thcfe plants always in pots, 

 under the greenhoufe management, with the view of more cer- 

 tainly preferving them, in cafe thofc which are planted out 

 in the flirubberics or other parts of the open grounds fliould 

 fuffer much or be wholly dcdroyed by the too great feverity 

 of very fevere winter feafons. And as the long roots of the 

 plants which are naked or but tliinly fct with fibres, are not 

 unfrequently difpofed to run downwards with a long tap- 

 root, they fliould be planted out when young as much as 

 poffible where they arc to remain and grow, as tliey do not 

 fucceed well, where they are tranfplantcd or removed into a 

 new fituation when of a large or old growth. 



Spartium Scoparium, Common Broom, in the Materia 

 Medtca. The tops and feeds are dircdlcd for uie : the tops 

 and leaves have a nauleous bitter tufte, imparted by infufion 

 both to water and fpirit. They arc commended for their 

 purgative and diuretic qualities, and have therefore been fuc- 

 icelsfully employed in hydropic cafes. Dr. Cullen ordered 

 half an ounce of frefli broom-tops to be boiled in a pound 



SPA 



of water till one half of this is confumed, and gave of 

 this decoftion two table-fpoonfuls every hour, till it ope- 

 rated by ftool, or till the whole was taken. It fcldom 

 failed, he fays, to operate both by ftool and urine ; and 

 by repeating this exhibition every day, or every fecond 

 day, fome dropfies have been cured. It is affirmed, 

 that a patient, by taking half a pint of a decoftion of 

 green broom-tops, with a fpoonful of whole muRard- 

 feed, every morning and evening, was cured, after being 

 tapped three times, and trying the ufual remedies given 

 in dropfies. The aflies of broom have alfo been much 

 ufed in dropfies, and principally on the authority of Syden- 

 ham, whofe account of their good eff"efts has been confirmed 

 by the teftimony of Dr. Monro, who gave a drachm divided 

 into three dofes every day, and by other writers ; the efiicacy 

 of this medicine depending entirely upon the alkaline fait, 

 and not at all upon the veget-ible from which it is obtained. 

 The feeds and flowers of broom are faid to be emetic and ca- 

 thartic ; but the evidence upon which this aflertion rells is 

 not wholly to be relied upon, as the former, when roafted, 

 have been ufed as a fubftitutc for coffee, and the latter em- 

 ployed as a pickle. Ray informs us, from the MS. of Dr. 

 Hulfe, that the flor. genilt. given in the form of eledluary, 

 with honey of rofes, were found very efficacious in fcro- 

 phulous aff^eftions. Woodv. Med. Bot. 



SPARTOPOLIAS Lai-is, in Natural Hi/lory, a name 

 given by fome authors to a whitifli agate, variegated with 

 long and flender ftrcaks of grey, difpofed in a varioufly un- 

 dulated order, and rcfcmbling grey hairs. 



SPARUS, in Ichthyology, a genus of fiflies of the order 

 Thoracici, of which the generic charafler is ; teeth gene- 

 rally ftrong ; the grinders fomewhat obtufe and crowded ; 

 the lips are doubled ; gill-membrane five-rayed ; the cover 

 fcaly ; the body comprefled ; the lateral line curved on the 

 hind part ; the peftoral fins are rounded. 



The mme fparus is of Greek origin, being derived from 

 the verb a-trKijsr., to palpitate or tremble ; and was given to 

 this fifli from its remarkable quality of trembling or pal- 

 pitating all over the body, as foon as taken out of the 

 water. 



There are, according to Gmelin, about forty fpecies, 

 feparated into divifions, and claflcd according to tlieir co- 

 lours ; but Dr. Shaw has enumerated nearly four times 

 that number. Tiie greater number of fpecies being exotic, 

 little is known of their hiftory ; they are evidently allied 

 to the Labri. See Labrus. 



Species. 

 J A. Marked with a hlacl Spot. 



*AuRATU.s ; or Lunated Gilt-head. The fpecific 

 charafter of tliis is, that between the eyes there is a femi- 

 lunar fpot. The general length of this lifli is about fifteen 

 inches ; but occafionally it is found of a far larger fize : the 

 body is broad and tliin ; tlie back nfing into a cjrina. 

 Dr. Shaw gives the fpecific charaAer m filvery-blneifli, with 

 gold-coloured brows, and a purple ipot beyond each fide 

 the head ; but foinetinics, lie fays, with tiie addition of 

 leveral brownifli longitudinal llripes. It is a native of the 

 Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Indian fcas, and held in con- 

 fiderable elliinatuin as food. It was much admired by the 

 ancient Greeka and Romans ; by tlie former it w.is confe- 

 crated to Venus. It feeds on fliell-fifli, which it grinds 

 with its (trong teeth before it fwallows. It is fometimes 

 found of the weiglit of eight or even ten pounds. 



Annui-AKIS. YcUowidi, with a black ocellatc fpot near 

 2 the 



