M A 



rious. When the Kinds are obtained 

 from abroad, they muft be planted 

 in Pots filled with frelh light Earth, 

 which is not over-rich, and plunged 

 into the Bark-bed in the Stove ; 

 where, during the Summer-feafon, 

 they mould have a large Share of 

 frelh Air admitted to them, by open- 

 ing the Glaffes in warm Weather ; 

 and they mull be frequently refrelh- 

 ed with Water : but in Winter they 

 muft be kept very warm, and mould 

 be watered more fparingly, efpecially 

 if the Plants die down to the Root, 

 which the fecond Sort is very apt to 

 do in Winter in this Country; at 

 which time Moifture will rot the 

 Roots, while they are in an unactive 

 State. 



When .the Seeds of thefe Plants 

 are procured from abroad, they 

 mould be fown in Pots filled with 

 frelh light Earth, and plunged into 

 an Hot-bed of Tanners Bark ; and 

 when the Plants are come up two 

 Inches high, they mould be tranf- 

 planted into a feparate Pot filled 

 with frelh light Earth, and plunged 

 into the Hot-bed again; being care- 

 ful to made them from the Sun, un- 

 til they have taken new Root. In 

 this Hot-bed the Plants may remain 

 during the Summer-feafon ; but at 

 Michaelmas they muft be removed 

 into the Stove, and treated after the 

 manner as was before directed. 



The Seeds of thefe Plants very 

 often prove abortive, having a fair 

 outer Covering ; but when broken, 

 have no Germ within, fo that very 

 few of them grow : therefore it is 

 proper to put them into Water, and 

 take only fuch for fovving as fink to 

 the Bottom of the Veffel ; for all 

 thofe which fwim on the Surface of 

 the Water, are bad Seeds. 



MAPLE. Vide Acer. 



MARACOCK. Vide Grana- 

 eilla. 



M A 



MARANTA, Indian Arrowi 

 root. 



The Characters art ; 

 It hatb a Flower confijiing of one 

 Leaf which is almojl funnel-Jhaped, 

 opening in fix Parts, three of which 

 are alternately larger than the other : 

 the Lower-part of the Flower -cup 

 afterward becomes an o<val-Jhaped 

 Fruit y confijiing of one Cell, in which 

 is one hard rough Seed. 

 The Species are ; 



1. Maranta arundinacea, can- 

 nacori folio. Plum. Nov. Gen. Reed- 

 like Indian Arrow-root, with a Leaf 

 like the Indian Reed. 



2. Maranta cannacori folio, 

 fore mini mo a I bo. Houft. Indian Ar- 

 row-root, with a Leaf like the flow- 

 ering Reed, and the leaft white 

 Flower. 



The firft Sort was difcovered by 

 Father Plumier in fome of the French 

 Settlements in America, who gave 

 it the Name, in Honour to one 

 Bartholomew Maranta, an antient 

 Botanift. The Seeds of this Kind 

 were fent to Europe by the late Dr. 

 William Houfioun, who found the 

 Plant growing in plenty near La, 

 Vera Crux, in Nav-Spuin. 



The other Sort was brought from 

 fome of the Spanijh Settlements in 

 America, into the Iflands of Barba- 

 dos and Jamaica ; where it is culti- 

 vated in their Gardens as a medici- 

 nal Plant, it being a fovereign Re- 

 medy to cure the Bite ofWafps, 

 and to extract the Poifon of the 

 Manchinee!-:ree. The Indians ap- 

 ply the Root to expel the Poifon of 

 their Arrows, which they ufe with 

 great Succefs. They take up the 

 Roots, and after cleanfing them 

 from Dirt, they mafh them, and 

 apply it as a Pultis to the wounded 

 Part ; which draws out the Poifon, 

 and heals the Wound. It will alfo 

 flop a Gangrene, if it be applied be- 

 H h h 4 fore 



