( 2 45 ) 
at forae Paces difhnt that way, or thereabouts. The 
colour of the Berries, when the Plant has any, diftin- 
guifhes it From all others, and makes it remarkable at firft 
Sight : But it fometimeshappens that it bears none, tho’ 
the Root be very old $ as that marked by the Letter 
H. had no Fruit, tho it was in its fifteenth Year. 
They having fowed the Seed in vain, without its pro- 
ducing any Plant, might probably give occafion to this 
Story, which is current among the Tartar /. T hey fay 
that a Bird eats it as foon as it is in the Earth, and not 
being able to digeft it, it is purified in its Stomach, and 
afterwards fprings up in the Place where it is left by the 
Bird with its Dung. I rather believe that the Stone re- 
mains a long time in the Ground before it faoots out 
any Root, And this Opinion of mine feems the more 
probable, becaufe there are found fome Roots, which 
are not longer and not fo big as one9 little Finger, tho 5 
they have (hot forth fuccetlively at leaft ten Stalks in 
as many different Years. 
Tho’ the Plant I have here defcribed had four Bran- 
ches, yet there are fome that have but two, others but 
three, and fome that have five or feven ; which la(f 
are the moft beautiful : Yet every Branch has always 
five Leaves, as well as this here figured, unlefs the num- 
ber has been diminilhed by any Accident. Tne Height 
of the Plants is proportionable to their Bignefs and the 
number of their Branches. Thofe that bear, no Fruit 
are commonly fmall and very low. 
The Root, the larger and more uniform it is, and 
the fewer fmall Strings or Fibres it has, is always the 
better : On which account that marked with the Letter 
H. is preferable to the orher. I know not for what 
reafon the Chine fe call it Gin-Jeng , which fignifies the 
Reprefentation or Form of Man: Neither I myfelf, nor 
others who have fearched and inquired into it on pur- 
pofie* could ever find it had any refemblance to the fig- 
mficatsonn 
