P E 



to which may he added, The Flowers 

 appear before the Leaves. 

 The Species are ; 



1. Petasites major iff vulgaris. 

 C.B.P. Common Butter bur, or 

 Peftilent-wort. 



2. Petasites m.yor, Jlorihus pe- 

 diculis longis infidentibus. Raii Sytt. 

 Greater Butter- bur, with long Foot- 

 ftalks to the Flowers. 



3. Petasites a thus, angulofo fo- 

 lio. J. B. White Butter-bur, with 

 angular Leaves. 



4. Petasites minor alter, tujfila- 

 ginis folio. H R. Par. Letter But- 

 ter bur, with a Colt's -foot leaf. 



The firft Sort here mention'd is 

 us'd in Medicine : this grows wild in 

 great Plenty by the Sides of Ditches, 

 and in moilt Soils, in clivers Parts of 

 England. The Flowers of this Plant 

 appear in the Beginning of March ; 

 and after they are pait, the green 

 Leaves come up, and grow to be 

 very large. 



The fecond Sort was found by Mr. 

 Jacob Bobart in Oxford/hire, and fent 

 to the Phyjic-garden at Chelfea : this 

 differs greatly from the former in its 

 Manner of Flowering ; for the Flow- 

 er-Hems of this Sort rife near two 

 Feet high, and the Flowers grow 

 upon long Footftalks ; whereas the 

 Stems of the common Sort feldom 

 rife above eight or ten Inches high, 

 and the Flowers cloiely furround 

 the Stalks. 



The other two Sorts are preferv'd 

 in Botanic Gardens for Variety; but 

 as they have little Beauty, fo they 

 are feldom propagated in other Gar- 

 dens : they all of them increafe 

 greatly by their creeping Roots, and, 

 if placed in a moift Soil, will in a 

 fhort time over-run a large Compafs 

 of Ground. 



PETIVERIA, Guiney Henweed, 

 *vulgo. 



Vol. Iir. 



P E 



The Characlers are ; 



It hath a Flower conftfting of four 

 Leaves, which are placed almoji in 

 the Form of a Crofs, from whofe Cup 

 ri/es the Point al, which afterward 

 becomes the Fruit, which is bordered 

 and cut at the Top, reftmbling an in- 

 verfed Shield containing oblong Seeds. 



We know but one Species of this 

 Plant ; vise. 



Pet i ve ri a fclanifoliis, loculis fpi- 

 vofis. Plum. Nov. Gen. Petivena 

 with Nightfiiade-leaves, and prickly 

 Seed-veiVels, commonly cali'd Guilty 

 Hcnweed. 



This Name was given to this 

 Plant, by Father Plumier, who dif- 

 cover'd it in America ; in Honour to 

 Mr. James Petiver an Apothecary, 

 who was a curious Botanilt. 



It is a very common Plant in Ja- 

 maica, Barbados, and raoft of the 

 other Iflands in the Weft Indies y 

 where it grows in lhady Woods, 

 and all the Savannas, in fuch Plenty, 

 as to become a very troublefome 

 Weed ; and as this Plant will endure 

 a great deal of Drought, fo it re- 

 mains green, when other Plants are 

 burnt up, which occafions the Cattle 

 to brouze on it; and having a moll 

 unfavoury ftrong Scent, fomewhat 

 like wild Garlick, it gives the Cows 

 Milk the fame Flavour; and the 

 Cattle which are kill'd foon after 

 feeding on this Plant, have a moll 

 intolerable Scent, fo that their Flefh 

 is good for little. 



In Europe this Plant is preferv'd in 

 the Gardens of thofe Perfons who 

 are curious in Botany : but there is 

 little Beauty in it ; and having fo 

 ftrong rank a Scent upon being 

 handled, renders it lefs valuable Ic 

 is propagated by Seeds, which muhV 

 be fown on an Hot-bed early in the 

 Spring ; and when the Plants are 

 come up, they fhould be each tranf- 



X x x planted 



