M I 



tliem a greater Share . of Air, as the 

 Seaion advances in Warmth ; but 

 you mult never expofethem to the 

 open Air, which will not only re- 

 tard their Growth, but alfo dcftroy 

 the fenfitive Quality ; fo that I have 

 feen fome Plants of thefe Kinds, 

 which, after having been expofed 

 to the open Air a few Days, have 

 intirely loll their Motion. 



The firft of thefe Sorts, if duly 

 wate'/d, and preferv'd in a kindly 

 Warmth, will grow, in theCompals" 

 of one Seafon, to the Height of eight 

 or nine Feet, and produce great 

 Quantities of Flowers ; but unlefs 

 the Autumn proves very favourable, 

 the Seeds feldom ripen ; and the 

 Plant, being much tenderer than the 

 other Sorts, is rarely preferv'd thro' 

 the Winter, tho' placed in the warm- 

 er!: Stoves ; fo that we are obliged 

 to procure the Seeds from abroad. 



There is fo great an Affinity be- 

 tween this and the eighth Sort, that 

 they are with Difficulty diftinguifiYd : 

 but where Dr. H r »uf,oun obferv'd the 

 eighth Sort, it was growing in {land- 

 ing Waters ; and the Eranches were 

 fpread flat on the Surface of the 

 Water in fuch manner, as if they 

 floated: but the Seeds of this, when 

 fown in Emfvpe, produced Plants of 

 erect Growth ; but their Stalks 

 were not fo woody, as thofe of this 

 firft. Species, and branched out more ; 

 the Pinna? of their Leaves were not 

 fo long, and a greater Number pro- 

 duced on the fame Footitaik ; but 

 in every other refpec~t they are 

 alike. 



This Sort is very common in all 

 the Iilands of Ame> tea, and I have 

 alfo received the Seeds of it from 

 Virginia and Carolina ; fo that it is 

 certainly a* Native of thofe Coun- 

 tries ; tho' it is only found in fome 

 very warm Situations, where the 

 Seeds ripen annually ; which, fall- 



M I 



ing, produce frefli Plants the foU 



lowing Seafon. 



The fecond Sort is of much hum- 

 bler Growth, feldom riling above 

 three Feet high ; but branches out 

 very much, and is belet with Thorns : 

 this will abide two or three Years, 

 if preferv'd in a good Stove, and 

 generally produces Seeds every 

 Year ; fo that it is now become very 

 common in the Englijh Gardens, 

 being the catieft to preferve, and 

 the mod plentiful in feeding, of all 

 the Sorts. 



The third Sort hath very broad 

 Leaves, and is greatly befet with 

 fliarp Thorns : this will rife to the 

 Height of five or fix Feet ; but has 

 generally very (lender Branches, and 

 is tenderer than the laft-mention'd : 

 it rarely produe'd Seeds in this 

 Country, but may be preferv'd thro* 

 the Winter in a good Stove. 



The fourth Sort has the quicken: 

 Motion 6f all the Kinds at prefenc 

 in England : this is fomewhat like 

 the third in Appearance j but grows 

 more erecl, and hath fewer Spines, 

 and the Flowers are of a different 

 Colour. The Seeds of this Kind are 

 frequently brought over from Bar- 

 badosy where, by the Plenty of 

 Seeds brought over, it feems to be 

 the mo ft common in that Country. 



The fifth Sort is preferv'd in Bo- 

 tanic Gardens for Variety ; but is a 

 Plant of no great Curiofity : it hath, 

 fomewhat the Appearance of the 

 firft Sort, and will grow erect to the 

 Height of five or fix Feet, and pro- 

 duce great Quantities of Seeds ; but 

 it having no Motion upon being 

 touch'd, renders it lefs valuable than 

 the others. 



The three, next-mentioned Sorts 

 were difcover'd by the late Dr. K'il- 

 liam Houftoun, at La Vera Cruz, from 

 whence he fent their Seeds into Eng- 

 land, from which many Plants were 



raifed. 



