G E S 
G EISNER A, Plunder Nov. Gen. 27. tab. 9. Lin. 
Gen. Plant. 667. This plant was fo named by father 
Plumier, who difcovered it in America, in honour of 
Conrad Gefner, a very learned botanift, and natural 
hiftorian. 
The Character's are, 
The empalement of the flower is of one leaf, cut into five 
acute parts at the top , and is permanent , in which is fi- 
tuated the go-men-, the flower hath one petal which is tu- 
hulous, and firfi bent inward , and afterward out again like 
a bugle-horn ; the brim is divided into five obtufle fcgments 
which are equal-, it hath four ftamina which are Jh or ter 
than the petal, terminated by Jingle fummits the germen 
which fits under the petal Jupports a fiingle crooked fiyle, 
crowned by a headed ftigma. The germen afterward be- 
comes a roundifh capfule with two cells, filled with fimall 
feeds, which are fixed on each fide the partition. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond feftion 
of Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, intitled Didynamia An- 
giofpermia, which includes thole plants whole flowers 
have two long and two fhorter ftamina, and the feeds 
are included in a capfule. 
The Species are, 
1. Gesnera ( Tomentofa ) foliis ovato-lanceolatis crena- 
tis hirfutis, pedunculis lateralibus longiffimis corym- 
biferis. Hort. Cliff. 318. Gefnera with oval, hairy , 
crenated leaves , and long foot-j talks proceeding from the 
fides of the ftalks, fupporting flowers in a corymbus. Gef- 
nera arnplo digitalis folio tomentofo. Plume Gen. 27. 
2. Gesnera ( Humilis ) foliis lanceolatis ferratis feffili- 
bus, pedunculis ramofis multifloris. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
612. Gefnera zvith fpear-Jhaped flawed leaves fitting do fie 
to the Jlalks , and branching fcot-ftalks having many flowers. 
Gefnera humilis fiore flavefcente. Plum. Nov. Gen. 
27. Low Gefnera with a yellowifh flower. 
The firft fort grows naturally in the Weft-Indies ; the 
feeds of this were lent me from Jamaica, which fuc- 
eeeded in tlie Chelfea garden; this rifes with a fhrubby 
Calk to the height of fix or feven feet, which divides 
into two or three irregular branches, covered with a 
rufiet wool, and garnifhed with hairy leaves which 
are feven or eight inches long, and two and a half 
broad in the middle, having a ruffet woolly midrib, 
and the edges are crenated ; thefe are placed on every 
fide the branches without order, and have fhort foot- 
ftalks ; towards the end of the branches come out the 
foot-ftalks of the flowers at every joint, arifing from 
the wings of the italic-, they are naked, and nine inches 
in length, branching at the top into many lmaller 
foot-ftalks, each fuftaining a Angle flower, having a 
fhort crooked tube, indented at the top in five obtule 
parts, and of ah oblolete purple colour. Thefe are 
Succeeded by roundifh capfules fitting clofe in the em- 
palement, the divifions of which arife above the 
capfule ; which Dr. Linnaeus, from Plumier’s figure, 
has taken for the empalement fitting upon the capfule, 
whereas the capfule is didPtncb from the empalement 
and is inclofed by it. The capfule is divided into 
tv/o cells which are filled with fmall feeds. It 
flowers here in July and Auguft, but hath not ri- 
pened feeds. 
The fecond fort is a plant of humbler growth •, this 
feldom riles more than three feet high ; the leaves are 
much fmaller, are fawed on their edges, and fit clofe 
to the ftalk the flowers ftand upon branching foot- 
ftalks, each fuftaining many yellowifh flowers, which 
are deeper cut at their brims than thofe of the firft 
fort. This was found growing naturally by the late 
Dr. Houftoun at Carthagena in New Spain. 
There is a third fpecies of this genus mentioned 
by Plumier, which grows to to a tree, and hath fpotted 
and fringed flowers but this I have not feen in anv 
of the Englifh gardens. Theie plants are propagated 
by feeds, which muft be procured from the countries 
where they grow naturally ; thefe fhould be brought 
over in their capfules, which is the beft way to 
preferve the feeds' good; for as they are very linall 
and light, fo when they are feparated from the par- 
tition to which they adhere, they foon lofe their j 
vegetative quality ; for I have received the feeds fe- 
G E U 
veral times from America, which were taken out of 
the veffels, but not one of them grew, till I pro- 
cured fome to be fent in their veffels, which fucceecled 
very well. 
The feeds fhould be fown in pots filled with light 
earth, and plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark 
as loon as they arrive, for they fometimes lie long in 
the ground ; thofe which I have fown in autumn, 
came up the following fpring ; therefore when they 
happen to arrive here at that feafon, the pots in which 
the leeds are fown fhould be plunged into the tan-bed 
in the ftove, and during the winter the earth fhould 
be now and then gently watered to prevent its drying 
too much, but it muft not be tpo moift. In the fpring 
the pots fhould be removed out of the ftove, and 
plunged into a frefh hot-bed, which will bring up the 
plants foon after. When thefe are fit to remove, they 
fhould be each planted into a feparate pot, and plunged 
into a good hot-bed of tan, obferving to fhade them 
till they have taken new root; then they muft be 
treated in the fame way as other tender plants from 
the fame countries. 
In autumn they muft be plunged into the tan-bed 
in the ftove, where, during the winter, they fhould 
have but little water given to them ; for if they re- 
ceive much wet, it will deftroy them. In this ftove 
the plants muft conftantly remain, for they will not 
thrive if they are kept out of the tan. In the fum- 
mer, they fhould have free air admitted to them at 
all times when the weather is warm ; and they muft be 
frequently refrefhed with water during that feafon, 
but it muft not be given to them in too great plenty. 
As the plants advance in growth they will require 
larger pots, but there muft be care taken not to 
over-pot them, for they will not thrive in large pots. 
With this management the plants will flower the 
fecond year, and may be continued three or four 
years, but they are not of long duration in their na- 
tive country. 
G E U M. Lin. Gen. Plant. 561. Caryophyllata. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 294. tab. 151. Avens, or Herb Bennet ; 
in French, Benoite. 
The Characters are. 
The flower hath a one-leaved empalement , cut at 
the top into ten fegments , which are alternately fmaller 
than the other. The flower has five roundifh petals, which 
are narrow at their bafle , where they are inferted in the 
empalement it hath a great number of awl-fhaped fta- 
mina, which are the length of the empalement, into which 
they are inferted, and are terminated by broad obtufle fum- 
mits. In the center of the flower is fituated a great number 
of germen collected into a head ; thefe havejlyles inferted 
in their fides, which are long , hairy , and crowned by Jingle 
fligmas. The germen afterward become fo many flat rough 
feeds , which are hairy, and have the ftyle which is bent 
like a knee adhering to them ; thefe Jit in the common em- 
palement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fifth feftion of 
Linnaeus’s twelfth clals, intitled Icofandria Polygynia, 
in which he places thofe plants whofe flowers have 
more than twenty ftamina, and have many ftyles in- 
ferted into the empalement. 
The Species are, 
1. Geum ( Urbanitm ) floribus ereftis, fruftu globofo, 
ariftis uncinatis nudis, foliis lyratis. Hort. Cliff. 
T9 5. Geum with ered flowers , a globular fruit, naked 
hooked beards, and harp-fhaped leaves. Caryophyllata 
vulgaris. C. B. P. '321. Common Avens, or Herb 
Bennet. 
2. Geum [Rivale , floribus nutantibus, fru<ftu oblongo, 
ariftis plumofis. Hort. Cliff. 195. Geum zvith nodding 
flowers , and an oblong fruit wit f feathery beards. Ca- 
ryophyllata aquatica, nutante flore. C. B. P. 32 r. 
Aquatic Herb Bennet with a nodding flower. 
3. Geum (fiPyrenaicum) floribus nutantibus, fructu glo- 
bofo, ariftis nudis, foliis lyratis, foliolis rotundiori- 
bus. Geum with nodding flowers, a globular fruit with 
naked beards , and harp- /leaped leaves with rounder lobes. 
Caryophyllata Pyrenaica, arnpliflimo & rotundiori 
folio, nutante flore, Tourn. Inft. R, H. 295. Pyrenean 
6 Aveus 
