M I M 
naturally in a marfhy fpotof.land in the iiland of Bar- 
buda, from whence he fent me the feeds, with a large 
branch of the plant, in a glafs -filled with a lixivium, 
which prderved it in the ftate it was gathered, with 
tire flowers and pods upon it. 
The third fort grows naturally in all the iflands of the 
Weft-Indies, where it is titled the flothful Senfitive 
Plant, becaufe the leaves do not contract on their be- 
ing touched. The ftalks of this fort feldom rife more 
than two feet and a half high, they are fmooth, and 
garnifhed with double- winged leaves, compofed of 
three or four pair of wings which are (hotter, and the 
fmall leaves are much narrower than thofe of the two 
former forts ; the heads of flowers are fmaller, and 
the pods are longer and narrower than thofe of the 
other. This fort will live through the winter in a 
moderate warm air. 
The fourth fort was difcovered by the late Dr. 
Houftoun, growing naturally at La Vera Cruz. This 
hath ligneous ftalks which decline to the ground, 
fpreading out two or three feet from the root, and 
fend out feveral fide branches, which are armed with 
fhort yellowifti lpines under the foot-ftalks of the 
leaves, and are their whole length clofely covered 
with briftly flinging hairs ; the foot-ftalks of the 
leaves are three inches long, and at the top fuftain 
four Angle winged leaves, whofe bafe meet in a point, 
but fpread above like the fingers of an open hand. 
Thefe wings are about three inches long, and are 
clofely garnifhed with fmall narrow lobes, fet by 
pairs along the midrib, which is alfo covered on the 
under fide with the like briftly hairs as the ftalk. 
The flowers come out from the wings of the leaves 
upon pretty long foot-ftalks ; they are collected into 
globular heads, and are of a pale yellowifn colour •, 
thefe are fucceeded by fmall jointed pods, containing 
tv/o or three Alining black feeds. 
The fifth fort is the raoft common of any in the iflands 
of the Weft-Indies, as alfo in the Englifh gardens ; 
the feeds of this fort are frequently fold in the feed- 
fhops, by the title of Humble Plant. The roots of 
this are compofed of a great number of hairy fibres, 
which mat clofe together, from which come out fe- 
veral ligneous ftalks which naturally decline toward 
the ground, unlefs they are fupported ; they are arm- 
ed with fhort recurved fpines, and garnifhed with 
winged leaves, compofed of four,' and fometimes five 
wings, whofe bafe join at a point, where they are in- 
ferted to the foot-ftalk, fpreading upward like the 
fingers of a hand •, thefe wings are fhorter than thofe 
of the former fort, and the ftalks are not "hairy. The 
flowers come out from the wings of the ftalks, upon 
fhort foot-ftalks ; they are collected in fmall globu- 
lar heads, are yellow, and are fucceeded by fhort, 
flat, jointed pods, which have two or three orbicular, 
bordered, compreffed feeds in each : thefe pods are 
in clofe clufters, almoft covered with Hinging hairy 
covers. 
The fntth fort grows naturally at La Vera Cruz, from 
whence the late Dr. Houftoun fent the feeds. This 
hath a perennial creeping root, which fpreads and 
multiplies greatly in the lands, where it grows wild; 
the ftalks are (lender, and have four acute angles, arm- 
ed with fhort recurved fpines pretty clofely ; the 
leaves (land upon long prickly foot-ftalks, which are 
thinly placed on the branches ; they are compofed of 
tv/o pair of wings, Handing about an inch afunder ; 
the wings are fnort, and the fmall leaves are narrow, 
and not placed fo clofe together, as in many of the 
other fpecies. The foot-ftalks of the flowers come 
out from the wings of the leaves, fuftaining a fmall 
globular head of purple flowers thefe are fucceeded 
' by four-cornered pods about two inches long, which 
have four ceils, opening with four valves, containing 
feveral angular feeds in each. 
This fort fpreads fo much at the root, as to 
render it not fo produftive of flowers and feeds 
as moft of the others; and the plants which are 
propagated by parting of the roots, are always 
weak, fo that the beft way is to propagate them 
/ 
by feeds, when they can be obtained. This is one of 
the forts, whofe foot-ftalks fall on being touched. 
The feventh fort grows naturally at La Vera Cruz, 
from w T hence the late Dr. Houftoun fent the feeds. 
This rifts with a (lender ligneous ftalk feven or eight 
feet high, armed with fnort recurved thorns. Tire 
leaves grow upon long foot-ftalks which are prickly, 
each fuftaining two pair of wings ; ^ie exterior pair 
have two lobes which join at their bafe, and are 
rounded on their outfide, but (trait on their inner 
edges, very much fnapeci like a pair of thofe fliears 
ufed for [hearing of fheep ; thefe tv/o outer pair of 
lobes are much larger than the inner; they are almoft 
two inches long, and one broad in the middle. From 
the place where thefe are inferred to the ftalk, come 
out fmall branches which have three or four globular 
heads of pale purple flowers coming out from the 
fide, upon fhort foot-ftalks, and the principal ftalk 
has many of thofe heads of flowers on the upper part 
for more than a foot in length ; and this, as alfo the 
branches, are terminated by the like heads of flowers : 
thefe are fucceeded by broad, flat, jointed pods, 
which open with two valves, fome having but one, 
others two, and fome have three orbicular compreffed 
feeds. The leaves of this fort move but (lowly when 
they are touched, but the foot-ftalks fall when they 
are preffed pretty hard. 
The eighth fort was alfo found by the fame gentle- 
man, growing naturally at La Vera Cruz. This hath, 
a fhrubby eredt ftalk about five feet high, which is 
hairy, and armed with fhort, broad, ftrong thorns, 
which are white, Handing on each fide fometimes al- 
mofc oppofite, and at others alternately. The leaves 
are compofed of five or fix pair of wings, which are 
ranged oppofite along a ftrong midrib, and between 
each pair are placed two fhort ftrong fpines, pointing 
out each way. The fmall leaves which compofe thefe 
wings are extremely narrow, and Hand very clofe to 
each other. Toward the upper part of the ftalk, the 
flowers are produced from the fides, upon fhort foot- 
ftalks ; they are coliedted into globular heads, and 
are of a bright purple colour ; the ftalks are alfo ter- 
minated by fmaller heads of the like flowers. Thefe 
are fucceeded by flat jointed pods about two inches 
long, and a quarter of an inch broad, which fpread 
open like rays, there being commonly five or fix of 
thefe joined together at their bafe to the foot-ftalk. 
Thefe pods feparate at each articulation, leaving the 
two fide membranes or borders Handing ; and the 
feeds which are compreffed and fquare, drop out from 
the joints of the pods ; thefe pods are hairy at firft, 
but as they ripen become fmooth. 
This is a perennial plant, which may be preferred 
through the winter in a warm ftove, by which me- 
thod the feeds may be obtained, for they feldom flower 
the firft year. The foot-ftalks of this fort do not fall 
on being touched, but the fmall leaves on the wings 
clofe up. 
The ninth fort grows naturally in Jamaica ; this hath 
trailing herbaceous ftalks, which put out roots at 
every joint, which faften in the ground and fpread to 
a great diftance, as they will alfo do here, when placed 
in a bed of tanners bark. I have had a Angle plant 
in one bummer, which has fpread near three feet 
fquare, whofe branches were clofely joined, fo as to 
cover the furface of the bed ; but when they are thus 
permitted to grow, they feldom produce flowers. 
Thefe ftalks have no thorns, but are garnifhed with 
winged leaves compofed of two pair of fhort wings, 
whofe fmall leaves or lobes are narrow ; thefe (land 
upon fhort foot-ftalks, which are fmooth. The 
leaves of this fort contradl and fall down upon the 
leaft touch, fo that where the plant is extended to a 
diftance, a perfon may draw any figure with a flick 
upon the leaves, which will be very vifible till the 
leaves recover again. The flowers come out from 
the wings of the leaves, upon naked foot-ftalks 
about an inch in length ; they are of a pale yellow- 
ifh colour, and are colledted into fmall globular 
heads ; thefe are fucceeded by fhort, flat, jointed 
9 B pods. 
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