Thefe plants were formerly in ufe to make edgings 
to borders in gardens, for which purpofe they are 
by no means proper, for they will grow too large for 
fuch defig ns ; and if they are often cut in very dry 
weather, they are fubjedt to decay and in hard 
winters they are very often killed, fo that the edging 
will not be complete : befides, thefe plants greatly 
exhaufc the goodnefs of the foil, whereby the plants 
in the borders will be deprived of their nourifhment ; 
fo that they fnould never be planted in a fine gar- 
den amongft other choice plants and flowers, but 
rather be placed in beds in the phyfic-garden, or 
in any part of the kitchen-garden, if the foil is dry. 
The third fort grows naturally in Andalufia ; this is 
an annual plant, which rifes with an upright branching 
italic two feet high ; the ftalks are woolly, and gar- , 
niflied with hoary leaves growing oppofite, which are 
cut into many divifions to the midrib ; thefe fegments 
are again divided on their borders toward the top, 
into three obtufe fegments, fo that they end in many 
points. The foot-ftalk of the flower is continued 
from the end of the branches, which is naked, and 
about fix inches long, having four corners or angles, 
and is terminated by a clofe fpike of flowers about 
pne inch long j the fpike has the rows of flowers 
twilled fpirally : under this fpike there are commonly 
two fmall ones proceeding from the fide of the ftalk, 
at about an inch diftance from the middle fpike. 
This fort flowers in July, and the feeds ripen in au- 
tumn. There are two varieties of this, one with blue, 
and the other with white flowers. 
This fort is fown every fpring on borders or beds of 
light frefh earth, and when the plants come up, they 
may be tranfpi anted into other borders of the flower- 
garden, or into pots, to remain for good ; where they 
will require no farther care, but to keep them clean 
from weeds. Thefe are pretty plants to place in large 
borders, amongft other plants, for variety, but they 
are never ufed with us ; they may alfo be preferved 
over the winter, if placed in a green-houle in au- 
tumn ; but they never continue longer than two years 
with us, and many times (if they have produced feeds 
the firft year) they will not continue longer. Nor do 
thofe plants which are thus preferved, appear hand- 
fome the following fummer, fo that, unlefs in bad 
feafons, when the feeds do not ripen in the open 
air, it is not worth while to preferve the plants. If 
the feeds of this fort are permitted to (carter, the 
plants will come up the following fpring with- 
out care, and may be treated in the manner before 
directed. 
The fourth;! fort grows naturally in the Canary Iflands, 
from whence the feeds were fent to the Bifhop of Lon- 
don, which were fown in his Lordlhip’s garden at 
Fulham, where this plant was firft raifed. This rifes 
with an upright, branching, fquare ftalk four feet 
high, garnifhed with leaves which are longer, and cut 
into narrower fegments than thofe of the third fort. 
They are of a lighter green and almoft lmooth ; the 
naked flower-ftaik is alfo much longer than thofe of 
the former, and terminated with a duller of fpikes 
of blue flowers •, at two or three inches below thefe, 
are two fmall fpikes of flowers, (landing one on each 
fide the ftalk. The flowers are lmaller than thofe 
of the common Lavender, but are of the fame (hape. 
This fort is tenderer than either of the former, fo 
the feeds of this muft be fown on a moderate hot-bed 
in the fpring ; and when the plants come up, they 
fhould be each planted into a feparate fmall pot filled 
with light earth, and plunged into another hot-bed, 
to bring the plants forward *, and in the beginning 
of June, they fiiould be inured to the open air, 
when they fiiould be placed in a fheltered fitua- 
tion toward the end of that month ; in July the plants 
will flower, and if the autumn proves warm, the feeds 
will ripen in September ; but when they do not per- 
fect feeds, the plants may be preferved through the 
winter in a good green-houfe, where they will pro- 
duce flowers mod part of that feafon, whereby good 
feeds may be obtained. 
LAUREOLA. See Thymel^ea. 
LAUROCERASUS. feePADus, 
LAURUS. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 597. tab. 367. Liny 
Gen. Plant. 452. The Bay-tree ^ in French, Laurier , 
The Characters are, 
It hath male and hermaphrodite flowers on different plant s$ 
the male flowers have no empalement : they have one pe- 
tal, which is cut into fix fegments at the top , and nine fta- 
mina which are floor ter than the petal , funding by threes , 
terminated by fender fummits. The hermaphrodite flowers 
have noempalement ; they have one petal, which is Jlightly 
cut into fix fegments at the top. In the bottom, is fitu - 
ated ari oval germen , fuppcrtihg a ffngle fiyle of the fame 
length with the petal, crowned by an obtufe fiigma , at- 
tended by fix or eight fiamina : there are two globular 
glands , funding upon very fort foot-jlalks, fixed to the 
bafe of the petal. The germen afterward becomes an 
oval berry with one cell, inclofing one feed of the fame 
form. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedlion of 
Linnteus’s ninth clafs, intitled Enrieandria Monogy- 
nia, which includes thofe plants whofe flowers have 
nine (lamina and one ftyle ; but it fhould be ranged 
in his twenty-fecond clafs, which, includes thofe plants 
whofe male and female flowers are upon different 
plants. 
The Species are, 
1. Laurus ( Nobilis) foliis lanceolatis venofis perennan-* 
tibus, floribus quaclrifidis dioeciis. Hort. Cliff 105. 
Bay -tree with evergreen, fpear-ffaped, veined leaves, and 
flowers cut into four points, which are male and female- 
on different plants. Laurus latifolia Dikoridis. C. B. 
P. The broad-leaved Bay of Diofcorides < 
2. Laurus ( Undulatis ) foliis lanceolatis venofis peren- 
nantibus, marginibus undatis. Bay-tree with evergreen 
fpear-ffaped leaves , which are veined and waved on their 
edges. Laurus vulgaris folio undulato. H. R. Par, 
Common Bay-tree with waved leaves. 
3. Laurus ( Tenuifolia ) foliis lineari-lanceolatis venofis 
perennantibus, floribus quinquefidis cliceciis. Bay-tree 
with narrow fpear-ffvped leaves which are evergreen and 
veined, flowers cut into five points, which are male and fe- 
male on different plants. Laurus tenuifolia. Tab. Icon. 
925. Narrow-leaved Bay. 
4. Laurus ( Indica ) foliis venofis lanceolatis perennanti- 
bus planis, ramulis tuberculatis cicatricibus, floribus 
racemofis. Kort. Cliff. 1 54. Bay-tree with evergreen „ 
veined, fpear-ffaped, plain leaves , branches hawing tu- 
bercles and cicatrices, and flowers growing in bunches . 
Laurus Indica. Aid. Hort. Farnefi 61. The Indian Bay. 
5. Laurus ( Borbonia ) foliis venofis lanceolatis calycibus 
frudtus baccatis. Lin. Sp. 529. Bay-tree with veined 
fpear-ffaped leaves, and the empalement becomes berries. 
Laurus Carolinienfis, foliis acuminates, baccis cseruleis, 
pediculis longis rubris infidentibus. Catefb. Carol. 1. 
p. 63. Carolina Bay-tree with pointed leaves , aftd blue 
berries fitting upon long red foot-jlalks. 
6 . Laurus ( Benzoin ) foliis ovato-lanceolatis obtufls in-* 
tegris annuis. Bay-tree with oval , obtufe, fpear-fhaped , 
entire leaves, which are annual. Arbor Virginiana, ci- 
treae vel limonii folio, Benzoinum fundens. Hort. 
Amft. 1. p. 168. The Benjamin-tree. 
7. Laurus \Saffafras ) foliis integris trilobifque. Hort. 
Cliff. 1 54. Bay-tree with entire leaves , or having three 
lobes. Cornus mas odorato, folio trifido, margine piano., 
faffafras dicta. Pluk. Aim. 120. The Saffafras. 
8. Laurus ( Enervius ) foliis venofis oblongis acumina- 
tis annuis, fubtus rugofis. Bay -tree with oblong, acute - 
pointed, veined , annual leaves, which are rough on their 
under fide. Laurus foliis lanceolatis enervibus annuis* 
Flor. Virg. 159. Bay-tree with fpear-fhaped,. Winged % 
unveined, annual leaves. 
9. Laurus ( Camphor a ) foliis trinerviis lanceolato-ovatis, 
nervis fupra bafin unitis. Lin. Mat. Med. 192. Bay - 
tree with oval fpear-ffaped leaves , having three veins 
which unite above the bafe. Camphora officinarurn. C. 
B. P. 500. The Camphir e-tree. 
10. Laurus ( Americana ) foliis ovatis planis mtegerri- 
mis, pedunculis racemofis, floribus in capitulum col- 
le&is. Bay-tree with plain, oval, entire leaves , branching 
7 T footy 
