C a p. XL The Caribby-Iflands. d ? 



Trees, as Mifletoe does on the Oak'-) others grow on the ground, 

 and upon rocks. They have fo much natural moifture, that 

 being pluck'd, and hung with their roots upwards in the midll 

 of rooms, where they are many times kept as rarities, and to 

 recreate the eye, they lofe nothing of their verdure. 



SENSITIVE PLANTS. 



THere is in thelfland Tabago a kind of Herb, which befides 

 its perpetual growing is alfo fenjible, whence it is called 

 the Sensitive Plant : it grows up about a foot and a half in 

 height, encompafs'd with a many leaves, in length a foot or 

 better , in bredth three fingers , jagg'd almoft like thofe of 

 Fern , being at the extremities of a green colour checquer'd 

 with litt e brownim or red fpots. Inthefeafonof fruits there 

 grows out of the midft of this Plant a round flower, confifting 

 of feveral leaves (landing much after the fame order as thofe 

 of the Marigold j but they are of a bright violet colour, and 

 being handled have a good fcent 5 the nature of this Plant is 

 liich, that if one pluck off the leaves of it, or fo much as 

 touch them, the whole Plant withers, and all the other leaves 

 fall to the ground, as if it had been trod under feet 5 and ac- 

 cording to the number of the leaves that had been pluck'd 

 off it will be a longer or (horter time ere it recover that lofs. 



There grows fuch another at Madagascar ^ which the Inha- 

 bitants call Haejt-vel 3 that is, the Living-herb : but it is not the 

 lame kind as that which may be feen in the Kings Garden at 

 Park 5 for that hath a much leffer leaf, and it is neither fpotted 

 nor j^gg d and which is more, it bears no flowers : befides, its 

 leaves being touch'd, clofe together by a certain kind of con- 

 traction, whereas that we defcribe (heds its leaves on the 

 ground. 



There is alfo another kind of living or fenfitive Plant in fome 

 of the other Iflands 2 it grows fometimes to the height of a 

 fhrub : it hath many little branches, which are at all times 

 loaden with an infinite number of long and narrow leaves, 

 which during the rains areenamell'd withfmall golden flowers, 

 like fo many ftars. But what makes this Plant efteem'd one of 

 the rareft and moft admirable of any in the world, is, that as 

 foonas one-would faften on it with his hand, it draws back its 

 leaves, and wriggles them under its little branches, as if they 

 were wither'd } and when the hand is remove!, and the party 

 gone away fome diftance from it, it fpreads them abroad again. 



Some call this Plaint the Chafte Herb 3 becaufe it cannot en- 

 dure to be touch'd without expreffing its refentment of the 

 injury. Thofe who have pafs'd by the Ijihmus from 'Nombrc 

 deDios to Panama relate, that there are whole Woods of a Tree 

 called the Senjitive'treey which being touch'd the branches and 



leaves 



