104. 
The 
RITISH HERBAL. 
tops of the briinches : they arc of a beautiful fiefli 
colour-, fomecimes deeper, and fometimes white. 
The feed-vcird is fmall, and the feed minute. 
It is a native of Virginia, and flowers In June. 
Plukenet calls it I.ychnidea bhttarta: accedens 
J'irginiana cfmphoraia glabris foliis. 
GENUS xr. 
GUINEA PEPPER. 
CAPSICUM. 
divided into five pointed 
I thick, coloured, rind; and contains numerous feeds in 
'JpHE flower confifls of a finglc petal, which is tubular at the bottom, 
ftfgments, and folded. 
The fruit is a large capfule, formed of ; 
two celh. 
The cup is formed of a Hngle piece, divided into five fegments, and rema'ns with the fruit. 
Linn.Tus places this among the pentandria monogynia -, the threads being five in every flower, and 
the fiyle from the rudiment of the fruit fingte. 
He calls this fruit a berry without any pulp. Its fliape and texture flievv tlie contrary. 
I. Common Guinea Pepper. 
Capfictm mdgare. 
The root is compofed of a great many thick 
and fpreading fibres. 
The italk is round, thick, ftriated, very much 
branched, and a foot and half high. 
The ieaves are numerous, and of a very beau- 
tiful green : they fl:and irregularly, and have long 
foorftalks. They are large : broadeflat the bafe, 
fmaller to the point, and not at all ferrated at 
the edges. 
The flowers are large and white : they fl:and in 
the divifions of the branches. 
The fruit is large, long, and green at firft, 
but when ripe, of a beautiful red. Its high colour 
and fmooth furfacc give it the appearance of po- 
liflied coral. 
It is a native of Africa and of South America; 
and flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Piper indicum 'julgatijjlmnm- 
Others, Cc^pfiatm vufgare. 
2. Small-fruited Guinea Pepper. 
Capficum fruuiu parvo. 
The root is compofed of a great number of 
long and thick fibres. 
The ftalk is round, firm, upright, and a foot 
high, and is not much branched. 
The leaves are numerous, and Hand irregu- 
larly: they are large, and of a deep green : they 
ftand on long footllalks, and are broadefl: toward 
the middle, and terminate in a fliarp point. 
The flowers are fmall, and of a greenifii white ; 
they do not rifq fingly from the divifions of the 
branches, but in clufiers, three or four toge- 
ther, from the fides of the mainftalk, fiipported 
by a general pedicle, and each flower alfo by its 
own. 
The fruit is roundifli : it is not bigger than a 
cherry; and, when ripe, it is of the fame fine 
red colour and glofly furfacc with the common 
kind. 
It is a native of Africa, and flowers in June. 
The fruit is hot to the tafte, but not fo violently 
as that of the other. 
The fruit of the common kind is ufed in fauces : 
when dryed and powdered, it makes what we call 
Cayan pepper. That of the lad defcribsd fpecics 
is more eft-eemed in Africa than the other; hav- 
ing lefs acrimony and a better flavour. 
N U S 
R O E L L A. 
R 0 E L L A. 
XII. 
'T'PIE flower confifls of a fingle petal, which is formed into a fiiort tube at the bottom, and divided 
into five broad f.-gments at the rim : the fruit is a fliort capfule, containing two cells, and 
crowned with the cup; which is of a fingle piece, divided into five pointed and dentated feg- 
mcnts. 
Linnasus places this among the penlandria monogyma the threads in each flower being five, and 
the rudiment of the fruit fingle. 
Others have called theie plants fpecies of campanula, but wrongly. 
Prickly Roella. 
Roella fplnofa. 
The root is long 
colour. 
fibrous, and of a brown 
8 
The ftalks are woody, numerous, fiender, 
firm, tolerably eredt, and eight or ten inches 
high •, fometimes they will grow confiderabiy 
larger. 
The leaves fiand irregularly, and are fmall, 
flender. 
