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G O M 
G O R 
leaves, clofe under each head of flowers arifes from 
the forks of the branches. The heads at their ap- 
pearance are globular, but as they increafe in fize be- 
come oval-, thefe are compofed of dry fcaly leaves 
or petals, placed imbricatim like the lcales of fifli; 
under each of thefe is fituated a tubulous flower, 
which juft peeps out of the covering, but thefe are 
uot much regarded by the generality of people ^ for 
the fcaly empalement which covers them is lo beau- 
tiful, and thefe if gathered before they are too much 
faded, will retain their beauty feveral years. After 
the flowers are paft, the germen, which is fituated in 
the bottom of each, becomes a large oval feed, in- 
clofed in a chaffy covering, which ripens late in au- 
tumn, and the plants decay foon after. 
There are two varieties of this fort, one with fine 
bright purple heads, the other hath white or filvery 
heads, and thele never alter from feeds, fo that they 
are permanent varieties, though in other refpects they 
do not differ : thefe is alfo one with mixed colours, 
but whether this arofe accidentally from the feeds of 
either of the former, I cannot determine, for this va- 
riety continues from feeds, and the other two I have 
cultivated more than thirty years, and have never 
found either of them vary. 
There are alfo two varieties of thefe which grow na- 
turally in the Weft-Indies, one with purple, and the 
other with white heads, which are much fm aller and 
rounder than thofe before-mentioned. The plants 
grow much larger, and fpread more into branches, and 
they are later before they flower, fo that in cold feafons 
the feeds rarely ripen in England ; thefe are called 
Bachelors Buttons by the inhabitants of America, but 
whether they are fpecifically different from the others, 
I cannot with certainty determine. 
The fecond fort hath much flenderer ftalks than the 
firft, which grow taller, and are irregular. The leaves 
are fmaller, but of the fame fhape. The flowers grow 
in fpikes at the end of the branches, which are broken, 
or divided into three or four parts with fpaces between 
them. The (pikes are fmall, and of a pale purple 
colour. The feeds of this fort were fent me by the 
late Dr. Houftoun from Campeachy. 
The third fort hath (lender upright ftalks, which are 
garnifhed with fpear-fhaped leaves placed oppoflte •, 
they are hairy, and fit clofe to the ftalks, which alfo 
are hairy, and terminated by fmall heads of flowers, 
which fpread open from each other, fo as that the em- 
palement appear diftindt ; thefe are of a pale draw co- 
lour, and appear in July. The feeds femetimes will 
ripen in England, but the plants will live two or three 
years, if they are preferved in a ftove. 
The two forts with large heads of flowers which are 
firft mentioned, one with purple, and the other which 
is filver-coloured, are very ornamental plants in gardens, 
and are now very commonly cultivated in the Eng- 
lifti gardens. In Portugal, and other warm countries, 
they are cultivated, to adorn their churches in the 
winter ; for if thefe are gathered when they are fully 
grown, and dried in the (hade, they will retain their 
beauty a long time, efpecially if they are not expofed 
to the air , thefe plants are annual, fo are only pro- 
pagated by feeds, which (hould be fown on a good 
hot-bed the beginning of March ; but if the feeds are 
not taken out of their chaffy covering, it will be proper 
to foak them in water for twelve hours before they are 
fown, which will greatly facilitate their growing. 
When the plants are come up half an inch high, they 
Ihould be tranfplanted on a frefh hot-bed, at about 
four inches diftance, obferving to fliade them till they 
have taken root ; then they (hould have frefh air ad- 
mitted to them every day, in proportion to the warmth 
of the feafon ; they will alfo require to be frequently 
refrefiied with water. In about a month’s time, if 
the hot-bed is of a proper warmth, the plants will 
have grown fo large, as to nearly meet, therefore 
they will require more room, otherwife they will 
draw up weak then a frefh hot-bed fhould be pre- 
pared, into which there (hould be a fufficient num- 
ber of three farthing pots plunged, filled with light 
rich earth, and when the bed is in a proper ternptrak 
ture of warmth, the plants (hould be carefully taken- 
tip with balls of earth to their roots, and each planted 
into a feparate pot, obferving to (hade them till they 
have taken new root, afterward they muft be treated 
I in the fame manner as other tender exotic plants; 
When the plants have filled thefe pots with their roots, 
they fhould be ftiaken out of the pots, and their roots 
on the outfide of the ball of earth muft be carefully 
pared off ; then they fhould be put into pots a fize 
larger, and when there is conveniency of a deep frame, 
to plunge the pots into another gentle hot- bed, it will 
bring the plants early to flower, and caufe them to 
grow much larger than thofe which are placed abroad. 
In July the plants (hould be inured gradually to bear 
the open air, into which they may be removed about 
the middle of that month, and intermixed with other 
annual plants to adorn the pleafure-garden ; but it will 
be proper to keep a plant or two of each fort in fhelter 
for feeds, becaufe when the autumn proves cold or 
wet, thofe plants which are expofed abroad, feldom 
produce good feeds. 
GOOSEBERRY. See Grossularia. 
GORTERI A. 
The Characters are, 
1 The empalement of the flower is ft iff, fcaly , ending inbriftly 
fpines ; the flower is compofed of hermaphrodite florets in 
the diflk , and female in the rays or border the hermaphro- 
dite florets are funnel-fhaped, five-pointed, having five floor t 
ftamina terminated by cylindrical fummits , with a hairy 
germen flupporting a fender ftyle , crowned by a bifid ftigma-, 
the germen afterward becomes one roundifh feed , furrounded 
by fine hairs. ’The female florets are tongue-fhaped , have 
no ftyle or ftigma , and are barren. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third fedlion of 
Linnaeus’s nineteenth clafs, intitled Syngenefia Poly- 
gamia fruftranea, the flowers being compofed of her- 
maphrodite florets in the difk which are fruitful, and 
female florets in the border, having neither ffyle 6r 
ftigma, fo are barren. 
The Species are, 
i. Gorteria ( Ringens ) fcapis unifloris, foliis lanceolatis 
pinnatifidis, cauie depreffo. Amcen. Acad. 6. p. 86 . 
Gorteria with one flower on each foot-ftalk , flpear-Jhaped , 
"mug-pointed leaves , and a depreffed ftalk. Ardlotis ra- 
mis decumbentibus, foliis lineari-lanceolatis rigidis 
fubtus argenteis. Ed. prior. 
2. Gorteria (Fruticofa) foliis lanceolatis integris den- 
tato-fpinofis fubtus tomentofis, cauie fruticofo. Lin. 
Sp. 1284. Gorteria with entire fpear-fhaped leaves, whofe 
indentures end in fpines , woolly on their under fide , and a 
Jhrubby ftalk. Carthamus Africanus frutelcens, folio 
ilicis, flore aureo. Walth. Hort. 13. tab. 7. 
The firft fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Elope ; it is a low fpreading plant, with ligneous ftalks 
fix or eight inches long trailing on the ground, having 
two or three fide branches, each terminating in a 
clofe head of leaves, which are narrow, green on their 
upper fide, but filvery on their under, cut into three 
or fivefegments at their ends. The foot-ftalks of the 
flowers arife from the heads, and are fix inches long, 
naked, fupporting one large Orange-coloured flower 
at the top, compofed of feveral hermaphrodite florets 
in the di(k, which are fruitful •, but the female half 
florets on the border are tongue-fhaped, fpreading 
open, each having a dark mark toward their bafe, with, 
a white fpot intermixed. The flowers appear in May 
and June, but are feldom fucceeded by feeds iq 
England. 
This plant is eafily propagated by cuttings planted 
in a fhady border during any of the fummer months, 
and the plants muft be afterward treated as is directed 
for Arctotis. 
The fecond fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope. This riles with a fhrubby (lender ftalk three 
feet high, fending out a few weak branches, garnifhed 
with oblong leaves fitting dole to the branches •, they 
are fmooth on their upper fide, woolly underneath, 
and indented on their edges, each indenture ending 
with a weak fpine. The flowers terminate the ftalks, 
having 
t 
