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4.. Cactus quinquedecitn-angula- 

 ris rotundus, /pirns creberrimis coral- 

 linis latis & ricurvis. Large Melon- 

 thiftle, with fifteen Angles, and broad 

 recurved Thorns, which are of a red 

 Colour. 



5. Cactus fubrotundus teftus tu- 

 herculis ovatis barbatis. Lin. Hort. 

 Cliff. Small Melon-thiftle. 



6. Cactus proliferus fubrotundus 

 tedus tuiercults oralis lanuginofts, 

 fpinis albis ereflus. Small Melon- 

 thiflle, with white upright Thorns, 

 and thrulting out young Plants from 

 the Sides, with a downy Subftance 

 between the Knobs. 



Thefe Plants are Natives of the 

 Weft-Indies, where there are more 

 Sorts than are here enumerated, if 

 Perfons of Skill were to examine 

 thofe Iflands. There have been about 

 four of the large Kinds brought to 

 England, fome of which have been 

 crowned with a prickly brown Cap, 

 in form of one of thofe Fur-caps 

 which are worn by the Turks, and 

 others which have been deftitute of 

 thefe Caps, although the Plants were 

 full as large as thofe which had them : 

 therefore they may be deemed di- 

 itinct Species, efpecially fince thefe 

 have been many Years preferved in 

 the Gardens, and no Appearance of 

 any Caps as yet can be feen. Thofe 

 which have thefe Caps produce their 

 Fruit in Circles round the Upper- 

 part of the Cap ; whereas the fmaller 

 Sorts produce their Fruit from be- 

 tween the Tubercles, round the Mid- 

 dle of the Plant : and in fome Fi- 

 gures of the larger Sorts of thefe 

 Plants, the Fruit is reprefented as 

 coming out near the Crown of the 

 Plant ; fo that if a fkilful Botanift 

 was to examine thefe Plants in the 

 Places of their Growth, there would 

 probably be found a much greater 

 Variety of thefe Plants, than is at 

 £ refent known. 



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Some of the large Plants which 

 have been brought to England, have 

 been more than a Yard in.Girt, and 

 near two Feet high, including their 

 Caps ; but I have been informed, 

 by feveral Perfons who have refided 

 in the Weft- Indies, that there arc 

 Plants near twice as large. 



The fourth Sort was brought into 

 England by the late Dr. William 

 Houftoun, who procured the Plants 

 from Mcx'ho ; but as they were long 

 in their Paffage, and had received 

 Wet, they were decayed before they 

 arrived in England-, but from the 

 Remains of them which were left, 

 they appeared to be the mo ft fingu- 

 lar of all the Species yet known. 

 This has two Orders of Thorns ; 

 one of which are ftrait, and fet on 

 at the Joints in Clutters, fpreading 

 out from the Centre each Way like 

 a Star ; and in the Middle of each 

 Clufter is produced one broad flat 

 Thorn, near two Inches in Length ; 

 which ftands erect, and is recurved 

 at the Point, and is of a brownifh- 

 red Colour. Thefe Thorns are, by. 

 the Inhabitants of Mexico, fet in 

 Gold or Silver, and made ufe of for 

 picking their Teeth ; and the Plant 

 is by them called Vtfnagaji* e. Tooth- 

 pick. 



The Sort with fpiral Ribs, as alfo 

 that with white Spines, I received 

 from Antigua, with the common 

 Sort ; but whether thefe are only ac- 

 cidental Varieties, arifing from the 

 fame Seeds, or real different Species, 

 I cannot take upon me to determine, 

 fmce in this Country they are very 

 rarely propagated by Seeds ; nor 

 could I obferve, in the feveral Years 

 when I had thefe Plants under my 

 Care, there was the leaft Difpontioa 

 in either of them to produce Fruit; 

 when, at the fame time, the com- 

 mon large Sort produced plenty of 

 Fruit out of their Caps every Year ; 



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