■LAV 
nathig the ftalks. Althaea frutefcens, folio bryoniee. 
C. B. P. 316. Shrubby Alth tea with a Briery leaf. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Syria ; it is an an- 
nual plant, with an ered, branching, herbaceous 
ftalk, rifing two feet high ; the under leaves are or- 
bicularly heart-fhaped, fmooth, and ftand upon long 
foot ftalks, the upper are divided into three acute 
lobes ; the flowers come out upon long foot-ftalks 
from the wings of the leaves •, they are very large, 
and fpread open like thofe of the Marfhmallow, and 
are of a pale red or Rofe colour. Thefe come out in 
July, the feeds ripen in September, and the plants 
decay in autumn. 
There is a variety of this with white flowers, which 
has accidentally rifen from feeds. 
The fecond fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope, from whence the feeds were brought to Hol- 
land, and the plants there cultivated, and the feeds 
have fince been communicated to moft parts of Eu- 
rope. This differs from the firft in the fhape of 
the leaves, the lower having angles, and the upper 
being arrow-pointed the ftalks are hairy, the flowers 
larger, and of a brighter red colour. 
This fort is annual, and flowers at the fame time 
with the former, and the feeds are -ripe in the 
autumn. 
The third fort grows naturally in Spain an$ Sicily •, 
this is an annual plant, which rifes with {lender her- 
baceous ftalks about two feet high, covered with a 
brown bark •, the lower leaves are roundifh, and the 
upper are angular, and fome arrow-pointed. The 
flowers are not half fo large as thofe of either of the 
former, and are of a pale red colour ; thefe ftand 
upon fhort foot-ftalks, and appear about the fame 
time with the former. This is certainly a diftindt fpe- 
cies, for I have cultivated it more than forty years, 
and I have never found it vary. 
The fourth fort hath a perennial root and an annual 
ftalk, which rifes five or fix feet high, is woolly, gar- 
niftied with angular heart- fhaped leaves, ftanding 
upon long foot-ftalks. The flowers come out from 
the wings of the leaves toward the top, fitting dole 
to the ftalks at every joint ; they are of a purplifh 
colour, and fhaped like thofe of the Marfhmallow, 
but are larger. Thefe appear in July and Auguft, 
and the feeds ripen in the autumn, then the ftalks de- 
cay to the root. It grows naturally in Auftria and 
Bohemia. 
The fifth fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope, the feeds of it were fent me by the ingenious 
Mr. Storm, gardener at Amfterdam. This rifes with 
a fhrubby branching ftalk to the height of eight or 
ten feet, garnifhed with large hairy leaves, deeply di- 
vided into five roundifh lobes, which are indented 
on their edges, of a bright green, ftanding alter- 
nately upon long foot-ftalks •, as the plants become 
more fhrubby the leaves decreafe in fize, fo that 
the upper leaves are not more than a fixth part 
of the bignefs of the firft or lower leaves. The flowers 
come out fingly at the wings of the leaves at every 
joint, fo that as the branches extend there is a fuc- 
cefiion of flowers, whereby the plants are feldom 
deftitute of them the whole year. The flowers are 
of a bright purple colour, but are not very large ; thefe 
are fucceeded by capfules having many partitions, in 
each of thefe is one kidney-fhaped feed, which ripen 
in fucceffion as the flowers are produced. 
The fixth fort is commonly called Mallow-tree ; this 
rifes with a very ftrong thick ftalk the height of eight 
or ten feet, dividing into many branches at the top, 
which are garnifhed with foft woolly leaves that are 
plaited, and the edges cut into feveral angles. The 
flowers are produced in clufters at the wings of 
the leaves, each ftanding upon a feparate foot-fcalk ; 
they are of a purple colour, and fhaped like thofe of 
the common Mallow, and are fucceeded by feeds of 
the fame form. This fort flowers from June to Sep- 
tember, and the feeds are ripe in the autumn. 
The feventh fort rifes with a fhrubby ftalk feven or 
eight feet high, fending out feveral long branches, 
L A V 
garnifhed with woolly leaves, differing greatly in fize 
and fhape, the lower being partly heart-fhaped at 
their bale, but divide into five roundifh lobes, the 
upper, which are final! , have three lobes, which 'are 
indented on their edges. The flowers come out 
from the wings of the ftalk, three or four at each 
joint, upon very fhort foot-ftalks •, they are of a light 
purple colour, and fhaped like thofe of Marfhmal- 
low. There is a fucceffion of thefe flowers from June 
to the autumn. 
The eighth fort is a fhrub which grows to the fame 
fize as the feventh, and differs from it in the fhape of 
the leaves, which are divided into three or five acute- 
pointed lobes •, the flowers are fin after, but of tire 
fame fhape and colour, it continues in flower at the 
fame time. This grows naturally in the fouth of 
France. 
The ninth fort rifes with a fhrubby ftalk fix or eight 
feet high, fending out many branches, garnifhed with 
roundifh, crenated, woolly leaves, ftanding upon long 
foot-ftalks •, the foot-ftalks of the flowers come out 
in clufters from the wings of the leaves, each fufi 
taining one large pale blue flow r er, of the fame fhape 
with thofe of the other fped.es. This flowers at 
the fame time with them, and the feeds ripen in the 
autumn. 
The tenth fort hath a foft, fhrubby, woolly ftalk, 
which rifes to the height of four or five feet ; thefe 
ftand more ereift than either of the former forts, and 
do not branch fo much ; the leaves are heart-fhaped 
at their bafe, but round on their edges, very hoary and 
waved, ftanding upon long foot-ftalks. The flowers 
come out in clufters from the wings of the leaves, 
ftanding upon foot-ftalks of different lengths ; thefe 
generally fupport but one flower, but fometimes they 
have two or three ; the flowers are large, and of a 
pale blue colour. They appear at the lame time with 
the former, and their feeds ripen in the autumn. It 
grows naturally in Portugal. 
The eleventh fort rifes with a fhrubby ftalk fix or 
feven feet high, fending out feveral fhrubby branched 
which are garnifhed with woolly leaves, divided into 
five lobes, which end in acute points, and are crenated 
on their edges •, the lower part of the branches are 
adorned with a fingle flower at each joint, fitting clofe 
to the ftalk, but the branches are terminated by loofe 
fpikes of flowers, which are of a pale blue colour., 
and fhaped like thofe of the former. 
The fix laft mentioned forts, though they have fhrub- 
by ftalks, yet are but of fhort duration here ; the 
fixth, tenth, and eleventh forts, feldom continue 
longer than two years, unlefs when they happen to 
grow upon dry rubbifh, where they make but little 
progrefs, and their ftalks and branches being firmer, 
fo are better able, to refift the cold ; for when they are 
iri good ground, they are very vigorous and full of fap, 
fo are killed by the froft in common winters. The 
other three forts are not quite ib tender, nor of fo 
fhort duration •, thefe will continue three or four years, 
and fometimes longer, provided the winters are nog 
very fevere ; or if the plants ftand in a warm fituation 
and on a dry foil, but in moift rich ground they Pel- 
dom continue long. 
All thefe fhrubby forts are eafily propagated by feeds, 
which lhould be fown in the fpring upon a bed of 
light earth ; and when the plants are about three or 
four inches high, they fhould be tranfplanted to the 
places where they are defigned to remain j for as they 
fhoot out long fiefhy roots which have but few fibres, 
fo they do not fucceed well if they are tranfplanted af- 
ter they are grown large. If the feeds of thefe plants 
are permitted to fcatter on the ground, the plants 
will come up the following fpring •, and when they 
happen to fall into dry rubbifh, and are permitted to 
grow therein, they will be fhort, ftrong, woody, and 
produce a greater number of flowers than thofe plants 
which are more luxuriant. As theie plants continue 
a long time in flower, fo a few plants of each fort 
may be allowed a place 'in all gardens where there is 
room, 
The 
