U (J 



Stamina : the Empalemtnt afterward 

 becomes the Cover of the Fruit, which 

 inclofes many [mall pointed Seeds. 



This Plant was ranged by former 

 Botanifts under the Title of Penta- 

 fhylloidcs ; which, being a compound 

 Name, is altered by Dr. Linnaus to 

 this of Comarum. 



There are two Varieties of this 

 Plant, which are found upon moift 

 Bogs in the North of England, and 

 in Ireland: one of thefe has thin 

 fmooth Leaves, and the other has 

 thick hairy Leaves; but I believe 

 them to be accidental Varieties arife- 

 ing from their Places of Growth. 



As thefe Plants are Natives of 

 Bogs, they are with Difficulty pre- 

 ferved in Gardens ; for they mult 

 be planted in a Soil as near to that 

 of their natural Growth as poffible : 

 they are very apt to fpread much at 

 the Root, when in a proper Situa- 

 tion: fo whoever is inclineable to 

 preferve thefe Plants, may remove 

 them from the Places of their Growth 

 in Oclober; and if they are planted 

 on a Bog, there will be no Danger 

 of the Plants fucceeding : there are 

 a few of thefe Plants now growing 

 upon a Bog at Hamfead, which were 

 planted there fome Years ago; but 

 the nearefl Place to London, where 

 they grow wild, is in the Meadows 

 near Guilford in Surry. 



COMMELINA. 

 The Characters are ; 



The Leaves are produced alternate- 

 ly, and fur round the Stalks at their 

 Bafe, being in Shape fomewhat like 

 the Ephemeron : at the Setting on of 

 the Branches, between the Wing of 

 the Leaf and the Stalk, is produced a 

 Flower, which conffts of two Leaves, 

 which are placed in the Form of two 

 Wings, much after the manner of the 

 Butterfly -flowers : from the upper 

 Part of the Flower are produced three 

 fhort Stamina ( or Threads ) ; upon 



which are faflened yellow Apices, 

 which refemble the Head of a Mufo- 

 room : in the under Part of the Flower 

 are produced three other Male Sta- 

 mina, which are thicker and longer 

 than the other : the Ovary is produced 

 in the Centre of the Flower, vohich 

 is extended into a long intorted Tube, 

 and becomes an oblong Fruit, divided 

 into two Cells, in each of which is 

 contained one oblong Seed. 

 The Species are ; 



1. Com me li n a graminea lati fo- 

 lia, fore caerulto. Plum. Nov. Gen. 

 Broad grafs-leav'd Herb Commelina, 

 with blue Flowers. 



2. Commelina proewnbens annua, 

 faponarice folio. Hort . Elth. Trail- 

 ing annual Commelina, with a Sope- 

 wort-leaf. 



3. Commelina erefta, ampliore 

 fubcaeruleo fore. Hort. Elth. Larger 

 upright Commelina, with a bluim 

 Flower. 



4. Commelina radice anacam- 

 pferotis. Hort. Elth. Commelina with 

 a Root like Orpine. 



Thefe Plants are nearly allied to 

 the Ephemeron or Spiderwort ; from 

 which Genus they differ in the 

 Flowers, which, in thofe of this 

 Genus, have but two Leaves, where- 

 as thofe of the Ephemeron have three ; 

 fo that by fome of the Writers on 

 Botany, thefe have been titled Ephe- 

 me?-on fore bipetalo, i. e. Spiderwort 

 with a Flower of two Leaves. 



The fecond Sort is a trailing an- 

 nual Plant, which if permitted to 

 fcatter its Seeds, the Plants will 

 come up the following Spring, much 

 better than when the Seeds are pre- 

 ferved and fown with Care ; for if the 

 Seeds are not fown in Autumn, foon 

 after they are ripe, they feldom 

 grow : therefore when the Seeds are 

 to be tranfported to any Diiiance, 

 they fhould' be put up in Sand or 

 Earth to prtierve them ; and they 



ftiould 



