102 
The BRITISH HERBAL. 
GENUS VIII. 
AZALEA. 
AZALEA. 
THE llower confifts of a fingle petal, which is long, tubular, and divided into five fegments at 
the edge : the fruit is a fingle capfule, of a round iigure, containing five ccUs ; and the cup is 
f;nall, coloured, formed of one piece, and divided into five fegments. 
Linnsus places this among the pentamiria monagy?iia; each flower having five threads, and the 
flyle from the rudiment of the fruit being fingle. 
Authors have been perplexed where to put the feveral plants belonging to this genus : fomc have 
called them ciftus's ; but the difference is very obvious, as will be feen when we treat of cijius, that 
genus being of another clafs. 
I, Procumbent Azalea. 
Azalea procumhens. 
The root is long and fpreading, divided into 
many parts, and furnifhed with numerous fibres. 
The fhoots are numerous, and fpread every 
way upon the ground into a very large and thick 
tuft. 
The ftalks are woody, and covered with a 
dark coloured rind, tough, thin, and four or 
five inches long, fometimes much more. 
The leaves are very numerous and very fmall : 
they are of a dark green, and they ftand in pairs : 
they are oblong, (lender, and fharp-pointed. 
The flowers grow at the tops of the branches, 
two, three, or more together : they are large, 
and of a beautiful red. 
The feed-vefiel is large, and contains many 
feeds. 
It is a native of the mountains of Germany, 
and flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Chamacijlus fcrpyllifoUa fio- 
rihus cocci-neis . Others, Cyfttis ferpyllifGlia : buttlie 
leaves are narrower than to be properly expreflTed 
by that name. 
2. Clammy Azalea^. ; 
Azalea vifcofa. 
The root is. woody and fpreading. 
The flioots are numerous and tough, woody, 
and covered with a grey rind. 
The leaves are frequent, of a pale green, and 
pinnated : each conflfl:s of three or more pairs of 
large, oval pinn^E, with an odd leaf much larger 
than either at the end : they are hairy and noc 
ferrated. 
The flowers (land in little clufl:ers at the tops 
of the branches, eight or ten together : they are 
long, flender, and very beautiful, and have a 
fragrant fmel! : they are hairy on the outfide, 
and clammy to the touch. 
The feed-velTcI is fmall, but contains numerous 
feeds. 
It is a native of Virginia, where it is common 
in the woods, 
Plukenet calls it Cijlus Virginiajia fiore et odort 
pcriclymem. 
Thefe plants have no known virtues. 
GENUS IX. 
L E A D W O R T. 
PLUMBAGO. 
^TpHE flower confifts of a fingle petal, which is tubular in the lower part, narrower toward the neck 
than near the bottom, and divided into five fegments at the edge. 
The fruit is a fingle capfule, of a rade and imperfedt form, containing only one feed: the cup is 
formed of one piece, and is pentangular, rough on the furface, and divided into five fegments at 
the rim. 
L-innjEus places this among the pentandria monogy?tia-t the flower having five threads, and the fi:yle 
from the rudiment of the capfule being fingle. 
I. Common L>eadwort. 
Plumbago 'vulgaris. 
The root is long, large, and furniflicd with 
many fibres. 
The firft leaves rife in a thick, fmall tuft, and 
are of a deep green, broad, fofnewhat oval in 
fhape, and without footftalks. 
The ftalks rife in the centre of the tuft, and 
are round, firm, upright, very much branched, 
and two feet high: they are ufuaily of a deep 
purplifli .colour, often blackifli. 
The leaves ftand irregularly on them, and re- 
fembie thofc at the root ; they are oblong, broad, 
and oval toward the end, but with a narrow and 
longbafe: they have no footftalks, but enclufe 
the main ftalk at the bottom. 
From the bofom of every leaf rifes a branch, 
and on the tops of thefe ftand the flowers : they 
are numerous, moderately large, and purple : 
they are paler at firft:, and grow of a deeper 
colour as they open, and decline into a red as 
they fade, 
Tile feed-vcfiel is a ihin fiiin, or little more, 
cnclofing 
