i M P 
ftalks about an inch long, each fuftaining a fingle 
flower 5 but there are two, three, or four, of thefe 
foot-ftalks arifmg from the fame joint. The flowers 
are compofed of five large unequal petals, which are 
fhaped like thole of the former fort, but are larger, 
and fpread open much wider *, there are white, pur- 
ple, and red of this fort, as alfo fingle and double 
flowers. If the feeds of thefe are fown on a moderate 
hot-bed in the fpring, the plants will flower in June ; 
but thofe which are fown in the full ground, will 
not flower before the middle of July ; and thefe will 
continue flowering till the froft puts a flop to them in 
the autumn. 
There are two other varieties of this, if not diftinft 
fpecies ; one of them grows naturally in the Eaft, and 
the other in the Weft-Indies ; that which comes from 
theEaft-Indies, by the title of Immortal Eagle Flower, 
is a moft beautiful plant; the flowers are double, 
much larger than thofe of the common fort ; they 
are fcarlet and white variegated, and purple and 
white in others ; and the plants producing many 
flowers, render them very valuable ; and if the feeds 
of thefe are carefully faved, the kinds may always 
be preferved ; but I have railed fome plants from 
foreign feeds, whofe flowers were fo very double 
as to lofe their male parts, fo did not produce any 
feeds. 
The feeds of thefe plants fnould be fown on a mode- 
rate hot-bed in the fpring, and when the plants are 
come up about an inch high, they fhould be tranf- 
planted on another moderate hot-bed at about four 
inches diftance each way, obferving to fhade them 
from the fun till they have taken new root; after which 
they fhould hayeT'k large fhare of free air admitted 
to them, at all times when the weather is favourable, 
to prevent their drawing up tall and weak : they 
will require to be often refrefhed with water, but it 
fhould not be given to them in too great plenty ; 
for as their Items are very fucculent, fo they are apt 
to rot with much moifture. When the plants are 
grown fo large as to touch each other, they fhould be 
carefully taken up with balls of earth to their roots, 
and each planted into a feparate pot filled with light 
rich earth, and plunged into a very moderate hod-bed 
under a deep frame, to admit the plants to grow, 
fhading them from the fun until they have taken frefh 
root ; then they fhould have a large fhare of air ad- 
mitted to them everyday, and by degrees hardened, 
fo as to bear the open air, into which part of the plants 
may be removed in July, placing them in a warm 
fheltered fituation; where, if the feafon proves favour- 
able, they will flower and make a fine appearance ; 
but it will be proper to keep part of the plants 
either in a glafs-cafe or a deep frame, in order to 
get good feeds, becaufe thofe in the open air will 
not ripen their feeds unlefs the fummer proves very 
warm ; and the plants in fhelter muft have a good 
fhare of free air every day, otherwife they will grow 
pale and fickly ; nor fhould they have too much of the 
fun in the middle of the day, in very hot weather, 
for that occafions their leaves hanging and their re- 
quiring water, which is often very hurtful ; therefore 
if the glaffes are fhaded in the middle of the day for 
three or four hours, the plants will thrive better, and 
continue longer in beauty than when they are expofed 
to the great heat. Thofe who are curious to preferve 
thefe plants in perfection, pull off all the fingle and 
plain coloured flowers from the plants which they pre- 
ferve for feeds, leaving only thofe flowers which are 
double and of good colours ; where this is carefully 
done, they may be continued without the leaft dege- 
neracy conftantly. 
The fort which grows in the Weft-Indies, is there 
called Cockfpur. This hath fingle flowers as large as 
the laft-mentioned fort, but I never faw any of them 
more than half double, and only with white and red 
ftripes : the plants are very apt to grow to a very large 
fize before they produce any flowers, fo that it is late 
in the autumn before they begin to flower ; and fome- 
times in bad feafons they will fcarce have any flowers, 
I M P 
and but rarely ripen their feeds here, fo that few oer- 
fons care to cultivate this fort, especially if they ’can 
have the other. 
The third fort here mentioned grows naturally in Cey- 
lon, and in many parts of India ; this hath very nar- 
row fpear-fhaped leaves, which are fawed on their 
edges ; the foot-ftalks fuftain each three flowers, which 
... are fmalier than thofe of the common fort, fo are not 
worthy of a place in gardens, except for the fake of 
variety. This is a tender plant, and requires the fame 
treatment as the Immortal Eagle Flower. 
IMPERATORIA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 321. Ton rn, 
Inft. R. 1 1 . 316. tab. 168. Mafterwort ; in French, 
Imperatoire. 
The Characters are. 
It hath an umbellate d flower ; the principal umbel is 
plain , and compofed of many fmalier ; the greater um- 
bel has no involucrum , but the fmall ones have , which 
are compofed of many narrow leaves , almoft as long as 
the umbel ; the principal umbel is uniform ; the flowers 
have five heart-fhaped petals , which are equal and in- 
flexed. T hey have five hairy Jlamina , terminated by 
roundijh fibmmits. The gerrnen is Jilmted under the pe- 
tals , , fupporting two reflexed ftyles , crowned by obtufe ftig- 
mas. The gerrnen afterward becomes a roundijh com- 
preffed fruit divided in two parts , containing two oval- 
bordered feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedtion of 
Linnteus’s fifth clafs, intitled Pentandria Digynia, 
which contains the plants whofe flowers have five fta- 
mina and two ftyles. 
We have but one Species of this genus, viz. 
Imperatoria ( Ofiruthium .) Hort. Cliff. 103. Mafter- 
wort. Imperatoria major. C. B. P. 1 56. Greater 
Mafterwort ; and the Aftrantia of Dodonaeus. Pempt. 
320. Mafterwort , or falfe Peilitory of Spain. 
This plant grows naturally on the Auftrian and Sty- 
rian Alps, and upon other mountainous places in Italy ; 
the root is as thick as a man’s thumb, running ob- 
liquely in the ground ; it is fiefhy, aromatic, and has 
a ftrong acrid tafte, biting the tongue and mouth 
like Peilitory of Spain ; the leaves arife immediately 
from the root ; they have foot-ftalks feven or eight 
inches long, dividing into three very fhort ones at the 
top, each fuftaining a trilobate leaf, indented on the 
border ; the foot-ftalks are deeply channelled, and 
when broken emit a rank odour. The fiower-ftalks 
rife about two feet high, and divide into two or three 
branches, each being terminated by a pretty large um- 
bel of white flowers, whofe petals are fplk ; thefe are 
fucceeded by oval compreffed feeds, fomewhat like 
thofe of Dill, but larger. It flowers in J une, and the 
feeds ripen in Auguft. 
This plant is cultivated iu gardens to fupply the 
markets. It may be propagated either by feeds, or 
by parting the roots : if you would propagate it by 
feeds;' they fliould be fown in autumn foon after 
they are ripe, on a bed or border, in a fhacly fitua- 
tion y obferving not to fow the feeds t too thick, 
nor fnould they be covered too deep. In the fpring 
the plants will appear, when they fhould be carefully 
weeded ; and if the feafon fhould prove very dry, they 
fliould be now and then refrefhed v/ith water, which 
will greatly promote their growth. Toward the be- 
ginning of May, if you find the plants come up too 
clofe together, you lhould prepare a moift fhadv bor- 
der (and thin the plants carefully, leaving them about 
fix inches afunder ;) and plant thofe which you draw 
up into the border about the fame diftance apart every 
way, being careful to water them duly, if the feafon 
fliould prove dry, until they have taken root ; after 
which time, thefe plants (as alfo thofe remaining in 
the feed-beds) will require no other culture but to 
keep them clear from weeds ; which may be eafily ef- 
fefted, by hoeing the ground between the plants now 
and then in dry weather, which will deftroy the weeds ; 
and by thus ftirring the ground, will be of great ferviceto 
the plants. The following autumn thefe plants fhould 
be tranfplanted where they are defigned to remain, 
which fhould be in a rich moift foil and a fhady fitu- 
4 ation ; 
1 
