is naked, and toward the top garrafhed with a clofe j 
fpike of blue flowers, fhaped like pitchers, fitting 
very clofe to the ftalk ; thefe fmell like frefti ftarch, 
or the Irenes of Plumbs which are frefti. They 
flower in April, and the feeds ripen the latter enc 
of June. 
1'he fecond fort grows naturally in Spain and Portu- 
gal, from whence I have received both roots anc 
feeds j this hath a bulbous root as large as a middling 
Onion, from which come out five or fix leaves a foot 
long, and three quarters of an inch broad at their 
bale, diminifhing gradually to a point. The flower- 
ilalk riles about a foot high, the lower half naked, 
but the upper is garnilhed with cylindrical, angular, 
purple flowers, Handing upon foot-ftalks half an inch 
long ; thefe grow horizontally, but the ftalk is ter- 
minated by a tuft of flowers whofe petals are oval, 
and have neither germen or ftyle, fo are barren. This 
fort flowers the latter end of April, or the beginning 
of May; there is a variety of this with white, and 
another with blue flowers, but the purple is the moll: 
common. 
The third fort hath pretty large, oval, bulbous roots, 
from which arife feveral leaves, which are about eight 
or nine inches long, and half an inch broad ; they 
are incurved a little on their fides, and end in obtufe 
points ; thefe embrace each other at their bafe ; out 
of the middle of thefe, the ftalk which fuftains the 
flowers arifes ; they are naked below, but their upper 
parts are garniflied with fmall flowers growing in a 
fpike •, thefe have oval pitcher-lhaped petals, which 
are reflexed at their brim, and are of an Alh-coloured 
purple, or obfolete colour, feeming as if faded, but 
have an agreeable mulky feent : thefe ftalks do not 
rife more than fix inches high, fo the flowers make 
no great appearance; but where they are in fome quan- 
tity, they will perfume the air to a confiderable dis- 
tance. This fort flowers in April, and the feeds ripen 
in July. 
Of this there are two varieties, one of which has the 
fame coloured flowers with this here enumerated, on 
the lower part of the fpike, but they are larger, and 
have more of the purple Call, but the flowers on the 
upper part of the fpike are yellow, and have a very 
grateful odour. The Dutch gardeners title it Tib- 
cadi Mufcari. As this is fuppofed to be only a femi- 
nal variety of the third, I have not enumerated it as 
diftind. There is another variety of this with very 
large yellow flowers, that has been lately raifed from 
feeds in Holland, which the florifts there left for a 
guinea a root. 
The fourth fort hath a large bulbous root, from 
which come out feveral plain leaves a foot long, and 
about half an inch broad at their bafe; they are 
fmooth, and end in obtufe points. The flower-ftalks 
rife near a foot and a half high ; they are naked at 
the bottom for about feven or eight inches, above 
which the panicles of flowers begin, and terminate 
the ftalks. The flowers ftand upon foot-ftalks 
which are more than an inch long, each fuftaining 
three, four, or five flowers, whofe petals are cut in- 
to flender filaments like hairs ; they are of a purplifh 
blue colour, and have neither ftamina or germen, 
fo do never produce feeds. It flowers in May, and, 
after the flowers are .paft, the ftalks and leaves 
decay to the root, and new ones arife the following 
Ipting. 
The fifth fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope, from whence I received the feeds, which fuc- 
ceeded in the Chelfea garden, where the plants have 
flowered for feveral years paft ; this hath a fmall, 
white, bulbous root, about the flze of a Hazel nut, 
from which comes out generally but two, (though 
fometimes when the roots are ftrong) three leaves, 
which are five or fix inches long, and one inch and a 
half broad in the middle, ending in obtufe points ; 
thefe are of a lucid green, and have many fpots, or 
protuberances on their upper furface. The flower- 
italk riles between them to the height of fix or feven 
inches ; it is round, fmooth, and naked for three inches 
M U S 
high oi more, and is terminated by a fpike of flowers, 
vouch are of a pale fulphur colour ; thefe have no 
foot-ftalks ; they have one petal, which is of an irre- 
gular figure, and cut at the top into fix parts. The 
ftamina are almoft _ equal with the petal, and ftand 
round the ftyle, which is of the fame length. The 
flowers appear in March, but arefeldom fucceeded by 
good feeds here. J 
The four firft forts are very hardy, fo will thrive in 
tne open air, and require no other culture than any 
other hardy bulbous-rooted flower ; which is, to take 
up their roots every fecond or third year to feparate 
their bulbs, for as fome of the forts multiply pretty 
faft, fo when they are become large bunches, they do 
not flower fo ftrong as when they are Angle : the bell 
time to take them out of the ground, is foon after 
their ftalks and leaves are decayed ; then they fhould 
be fpread on a mat, in a dry fhady room for a fort- 
night to dry, after which they may be kept in boxes 
like other bulbous roots, till Michaelmas, when they 
may be planted again in the borders of the flower- 
garden, and treated in the fame way as the common 
hardy kinds of Hyacinths. 
The firft fort fhould not be admitted into the flower- 
garden, becaufe the roots will propagate fo faft, as to 
become a troublefome weed there. 
The fecond fort has but little beauty, fo a few of 
thefe only fhould be allowed a place merely for the 
fake of variety ; this is fo hardy, as to thrive in 
any foil or lituation. 
The third fort merits a place for the extreme fweet- 
nefs of its flowers, but efpecially that variety of it 
with yellow flowers, called Tibcady. 
The fourth fort may alfo be allowed to have place in 
the common borders of the pleafure-garden, where 
they will add to the variety, and are by no means to 
be defpifed. 
They are all eafily propagated by offsets, which moll 
of their roots fend out in pretty great plenty, lb that 
there is little occafion for lowing of their feeds, unlefti 
it be to gain fome new varieties. 
The fifth fort is too tender to thrive in the open air in 
England, fo the roots muff be planted in fmall pots, 
filled with light rich earth ; and in the autumn they 
fhould be placed under a hot bed-frame, where they 
may be proteded from froft, but fhould have as 
much free air as poffible in mild weather ; for when 
thefe are placed in a green-houfe, their leaves are 
drawn long and narrow, and the flower-ftalks are ge- 
nerally weak, fo never flower fo well as when they have 
plenty of free air. Thefe flowers will continue a 
month where they are not drawn, but will decay in 
half that time in a green-houfe. 
Thefe roots fhould be tranfplanted in July, when 
their ftalks and leaves are decayed, and fhould be 
placed in the open air during the fummer feafon, but 
fhould have very little water when their leaves are 
decayed. 
MUSCIPULA. See Silene. 
MUSCOSE, MUSCOSUS, Moffy, orabound- 
ing with Mofs. 
MUSCOSITY, Moffinefs. 
MUSCUS, Mofs. 
Thefe, though formerly fuppofed to be only ex- 
crefcences produced from the earth, trees, &c. yet 
are no lefs perfed plants than thofe of greater mag- 
nitude, having roots, branches, flowers, and feeds, 
but yet cannot be propagated from the latter by any 
art. 
The botanifts diftinguifh thefe into feveral genera, 
under each of which are feveral fpecies ; but as they 
are plants of no ufe or beauty, it would be to little 
purpofe to enumerate them in this place. 
Thefe plants chiefly flourifii in cold countries, and 
in the winter feafon, and are many times very inju- 
rious to fruit-trees, which grow upon cold barren 
foils, or where they are fo clofe planted as to exclude 
the free accefs of air. The only remedy in fuch 
cafes is to cut down part of the trees, and plough up 
the ground between thofe left remaining : and in the 
' Spring 
