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The Species one, viz. 
F R A n k li N i a alatamaha. Franklinia * 
(Bartram’s Catalogue.) 
This beautiful flowering, tree-like fiirub, rifes 
with an erect trunk to the height of about tweiity 
feet ; dividing into branches, alternately difpofed« 
The leaves are oblong, narrowed towards the bafe, 
fawed on their edges, placed alternately, and fitting 
clofe to the branches. The flowers are produced 
towards the extremity of the branches, fitting clofe 
at the bofom of the leaves ; they are often five inches 
in diameter when fully expanded ; compofed of five 
large, roundifh, fpreading petals, ornamented in the 
center with a tuft or crown of gold coloured ftamina; 
and pofiefled with the fragrance of a China Orange* 
This newly difcovered, rare, and elegant flowering 
fiirub, was firft obferved by John Bertram when on 
botanical refearches, on the Alatamaha river in 
Georgia, Anno 1760; but was not brought into 
Pennsylvania till about fifteen years after, when liis 
fon William Bartram, employed in the like purfuits, 
revifited the place where it had been before obferved, 
and had the pleafing profpeft of beholding it in its 
native foil, polTefled with all its floral charms; and 
bearing ripe feeds at the fame time ; fome of which 
he colle&ed and brought home, and raifed feveral 
plants therefrom, which in four years time flowered, 
and in one year after perfected ripe feeds. 
It feems nearly allied to the Gordonia, to which 
it has, in fome late Catalogues, been joined : but 
William Bartram, who firfl: introduced it, believing 
it to be a new Genus, has chofen to honour it with 
fhe name of that patron of fciences, and truly great 
and 
Q 
