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large foliaceous Wings, which ex- 

 tend the Length rf the Fruit, and are 

 Jhaped like a PVater-mill. 

 The Species are ; 



1 . Laserpitium foliis la tiorihus 

 lobatis. Mor. Umbel. Laferyvort with 

 broader Leaves. 



2. Laserpitium foliis ampliori- 

 lus y femine crifpo. Inf. R. H. Lafer- 

 wort with large Leaves, and curPd 

 Seeds. 



3. Laserpitium humilius, palu- 

 dapti folio, fore albo. Inft. R. H. 

 Lower Laferwort, with a Smallage- 

 leaf, and a white Flower. 



4. Laserpitium Gallicum. C. 

 B. P. French Laferwort. 



5. Laserpitium angujlijfimo & 

 oblongo folio. Inf. R. H. Laferwort 

 with a very narrow oblong Leaf. 



6. Laserpitium felinoides, fe- 

 tnino crifpo. Inf. R. H. Laferwort 

 refembling fweet Smallage, with a 

 curPd Seed. 



7. Laserpitium angufi folium, 

 umbella confratta iff conca'va. Inf. 

 R. H. N arrow -leav'd Laferwort, 

 with a contracted and hollow Um- 

 bel. 



8. Laserpitium Orient ale, foliis 

 fefeltos MaJflienfiSy fore luteo. Cor. 

 Inf. R. H. Eaflern Laferwort, with 

 Leaves like the Marfeilles Hart- 

 wort, and a yellow Flower. 



There are feveral other Varieties 

 of this Plant, which are enumerated 

 in Botanic Authors ; but fome of 

 them only differ in the Colour of 

 their Flowers, and the Indentures 

 of their Leaves ; fo muft not be 

 deemed as diitinct Species. Indeed 

 the Number of Species has been 

 greatly leffenM by fome late Wri- 

 ter:;, who have erred as much in 

 Icifcning, as thofe before them had 

 done in multiplying, of the Species; 

 winch Miflake they may have fallen 

 into by fowing of the Seeds near 

 old Plants of the fume Genus, or 



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on Ground where fome of thefe 

 Sorts have grown; fo that their 

 Seeds have been fcattered and buried 

 in the Ground, where they will re- 

 main two or three Years, and after- 

 ward grow ; fo that unlefs their 

 Seeds are fown at a Diftance from 

 any of the other Species, there will 

 always be a Mixture of Plants come 

 up, whereby People have been often 

 confus'd in diitinguilhing thefe 

 Plants ; nay, I have frequently ob- 

 ferved the Seeds of one Species fall, 

 and the Plants come up on the Head 

 of another Plant which grew near 

 it ; and this young Plant, if not 

 timely rooted out, has gotten the 

 better of the old Plant, and deltroy- 

 ed it : where there is not great Care 

 taken to prevent this, the different 

 Sorts cannot be preferved in Gar- 

 dens where the Species grow near 

 each other. 



It is generally fuppofed, that the 

 Silphium of the Antients was pro- 

 cured from one Species of this Ge- 

 nus ; but from which of them we 

 are at prefent ignorant. All the 

 Species, if wounded, drop a very 

 acrid Juice, which turns to a refin- 

 ous gummous Subftance very acri- 

 monious. This was externally ap- 

 plied by the Antients to take away 

 black and blue Spots that came by 

 Bruifes and Blows, as alio to take 

 away Excrefcences : it was alio by 

 fome of the Antients prdcribed in 

 internal Medicines ; bt* others have 

 cautioned Peop'e not to make ufe 

 of it this way, from the Effecls 

 which they mention to have feen 

 produced from the Violence of its 

 Acrimony. 



All thefe Plants are extreme har- 

 dy ; fo will thrive in molt Soils and 

 Situations. They are propagated by 

 Seed, which if fown in the Autumn, 

 the Plants will come up the follow- 

 ing Spring ; but when they are fown 



in 



