A S 



not worth the Trouble of Towing, it 

 being two Years before thefe Plants 

 will have any Strength ; and they are 

 much eafilier raifed by Slips : the fe- 

 cond very rarely produces good Seeds 

 in England. 



ASCLEPIAS, Hirundinaria, or 

 Swallow-wort. 



The Char afters are ; 

 // hath a Flower confefing of one 

 Leafy which is divided into five Parts, 

 expanded in form of a Star : the Ovary 

 becomes a Fruity which is, for the 

 rnojl part, compofed of two membra- 

 nous Hujks, which open from the Bot- 

 tom to the Top, inclofing many Seeds, 

 which are covered with a fine Down, 

 and are fixed to the Membrane, juji 

 as Scales are difpofed upon the Skins 

 of Fijhes : this Plant hath no milky 

 yuice, wherein it differs from the 

 Dogs- bane. 



The Species are ; 



1. Asclepias albo fore. C. B. 

 The common Swallow-wort, with 

 white Flowers. 



2. Asclepias nigro fore. C. B. 

 The common Swallow-wort, with 

 black Flowers. 



3. Asclepias angujiifolia, fore 

 fiavefcente. H. R. Par. The nar- 

 row-leav'd Swallow-wort, with yel- 

 low Flowers. 



4. Asclepias Africana aizoides. 

 lourn. The African Svvaliow-wort, 

 Commonly called, Fritillaria craffa. 



5. Asclepias Africana aizoides, 

 fore pulchre fimbriato. Com. Rar. 

 The African Swallow-wort, with fair 

 hairy Flowers, commonly called, Fri- 

 tillaria crajja major. 



6. Asclepias Africana aizoides, 

 folio compreffo digitato Iff crifato. 

 Boerh. Ind. The African Swallow- 

 wort,with crefted Leaves, commonly 

 called, the Cockfcomb Fritillaria. 



The three firft Sorts are very hardy, 

 and will endure the Winter's Cold in 

 the opeit Ground : the firft Sdrt is 



A S 



fometimes ufed in Medicine, and is 

 for that Purpofe prelervcd in the Phy- 

 fic -gardens : they are all three of 

 them propagated, by parting their 

 Roots, either in Spring or Autumn ; 

 and will grow in almoft any Sort of 

 Soil : they may be alfo raifed from 

 Seed?, which muft be fown early in 

 the Spring, in a Bed of common 

 Earth ; and the fecond Year the 

 young Plants will produce Flo wers ; 

 but thefe, excepting the fecond Sort, 

 rarely produce any good Seeds in 

 England. 



The fourth, fifth, and fixth Sorts . 

 are Natives of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 and were firft brought from thence 

 into the Dutch Gardens, and were 

 afterwards brought into Engla?id: 

 thefe Plants are propagated, by 

 planting Cuttings in any of the Sum- 

 mer-months; which Cuttings mould 

 be taken from the Plants, at leaft a 

 Week before they are planted, and 

 laid in a dry Place, that the Wound 

 may be healed, and the Moifture 

 evaporated, otherwife they are very 

 apt to rot : thefe Cuttings muft be 

 planted in fmall Pots filled with a 

 fandy Soil ; and, after having flood 

 about a Week abroad in a fhady 

 Place, you may plunge the Pots into 

 a very moderate Hot-bed, which 

 will greatly forward their making 

 new Roots : in about a Month's 

 time after planting, you muft begin 

 to harden them, by expofing them 

 to the open Air j but do not let 

 them receive much Wet, which is 

 a great Enemy to thefe Plants ; and, 

 in the Beginning of September, you 

 muft houfe them with the fmaller 

 Sorts of Aloes, giving them very 

 little Water in the Winter-feafon. 



The fifth Sort is very fubjecT: to 

 flower every Year ; but the fourth 

 and fixth Sorts flower but feldom ; 

 though neither of them is fo apt to 

 flower, if expofed to the open Air 



