[ 9 . 5 ° ] 
The calling of plants after the names of botanifts, 
as well as after the names of thofe, that have been, 
or are the promoters and encouragers of this ufeful 
fcience, is not without its advantages j and thiscuftom 
has been followed by Linnaeus, and recommended 
by him in his Philofophia Botanica. It has this good 
effect ; it Simulates many to the fearching after new 
difcoveries, and hill further improvements in agri- 
culture and vegetation, a truly wife and laudable 
end. 
The intent of this letter is to lay before you the 
characters of two new genera of plants, now grow- 
ing in your garden, which I fhall take the liberty to 
call after our worthy friends Dr. Stephen Hales of 
Teddington, and Dr. Alexander Garden, phyhcian 
in Charleftown, South Carolina. 
The plant, which I fhall firft defcribe, is the 
Halefia ; and in order to give you a better idea of it, 
I fliall tranfcribe the account Dr. Garden lent me of 
it, when he fent the fpecimens and feeds. 
“ This beautiful tree grows commonly along the 
“ banks of Santee river, and rifes often to the fize 
“ of middling mulberry-trees. I have leen it fome- 
“ times more foutherly, near the fmall rills of water; 
tc but of a much fmaller fize than that which grows 
“ on Santee. The wood is hard, and veined; the 
“ bark is of a darkdh colour, with many irregular 
t; fhallow fiflures. The leaves are ovated, and lharp 
£C pointed, with the middle deprefled, growing al- 
“ ternately on fhort footftalks. The flowers hang 
<c in fmall bunches all along the branches, each gem 
“ producing from four to eight or nine flowers, bell— 
u Ihaped, and of a pure fnowy whitenefs. As they 
“ blow 
