O C Y 
The flowers grow in whorled fpikes at the top of the 
ftalks, the flowers ftanding upon foot- {talks, each fuf- 
taining three flowers ; thefe are about the fize of thofe 
of the common Bafll, and are white •, the whole plant 
has a ftrong aromatic odour. It grows naturally at 
Campeachy. 
The fixth fort grows naturally in the ifland of Cey- 
lon ; this rifes with a fquare talk two feet high, 
which is hairy, and divides into three branches at 
the top ; the lower leaves are roundilh, ending in 
points ; they are hairy, and crenated on their edges, 
ftanding upon {lender foot-ftalks •, the leaves on the 
ftalks are narrower and {hotter, and have foot-ftalks 
an inch long •, the ftalks are terminated by three fpikes 
of flowers in whorls, that in the middle being the 
longeft. The flowers are reflexed and hang down- 
ward, they are white, and larger than thofe of the 
common fort. This plant has lefs odour than the 
other forts. 
Thefe plants being moft of them annual, are propa- 
gated from feeds, ■which fhould be fown irl March, 
upon a moderate hot-bed ; and when the plants are 
come up, they fhould be tranfplanted into another 
moderate hot-bed, obferving to water and {hade them 
Until they have taken root ; after which they fhould 
have plenty of air in mild weather, otherwife they 
will draw up very weak •, you muft alfo water them 
frequently, for they love moifture. In May they 
ftiould be taken up with a ball of earth to their roots, 
and tranfplanted either into pots or borders, obferv- 
ing to {hade them Until they have taken root ; after 
which they will require no farther care but to clear 
them from weeds, and refrdh them with water in 
dry weather. Though thefe plants are only propa- 
gated from feeds, yet if you have any particular fort 
which may arife from feeds, which you are defirous 
to increafe, you may take off cuttings any time in 
May, and plant them on a moderate hot-bed, ob- 
ferving to water and fhade them for about ten days •, 
in which time they will take root, and in three weeks 
time be fit to remove, either into pots or borders, 
with the feedling plants. In September thefe plants 
will perfect their feeds, when thofe forts which ap- 
pear the moftdiftind, fliould have their feeds preferved 
feparate, for lowing the following fpring. 
The feeds of thefe plants are uftially brought from the 
fouth of France or Italy every fpring, becaufe Tome of 
them feldom ripen their feeds in this country in the 
open air. But whoever is curious to preferve the feeds 
of any of the varieties, fhould place them in an airy 
glafs-cafe or ftove in the autumn, when the weather 
begins to be cold or wet ; and by fupplying them 
with water, and letting them have free air every day 
in mild weather, they will perfed their feeds very 
well in this country. 
The fifth fort is more tender than any of the other •, 
this was difcovered growing wild at Campeachy, by 
the late Dr. William Houftoun, who fent the feeds 
to England. This fhould be fowfi on a hot-bed early 
in the fpring, and when the plants are come up, 
they fhould be tranfplanted on another very tempe- 
rate hot-bed to bring them forward ; and when they 
have obtained ftrength, they fhould be each tranf- 
planted into a feparate pot, and placed either in the 
ftove, or on a moderate hot-bed, where they may 
have a large fhare of air in warm weather; but by 
being flickered from the cold and wet, the plants will 
perfed their feeds very well in England. 
The fixth fort grows to be fhrubby, and if placed 
in a moderate warmth in winter, may be preferved 
two years ; but this will ripen its feeds the firft year, 
if the plants are brought forward in the fpring ; but 
if this fliould fail, the plants may be placed in the 
ftove, where they may be kept through the winter, 
and the following feafon they will perfed their feeds. 
In the fummer the plants fhould be placed in the open 
air in a flickered fituation, and in warm weather they 
fliould have plenty of water. 
There have been many fiditious ftories handed down 
through feveral generations, of fcorpions being bred 
'• OE N A 
s' t * 
in the brain of perfons who frequently ftnelied tins 
plant ; and others have afferted, that fcorpions com- 
monly breed under the plants, but thefe ftories are 
without foundation : but it is certain, that the odour 
of thefe plants is too ftrong for moft perlons, efpeci- 
ally in a room, or if near them ; for which reafon they 
ftiould not be placed too near the habitation, becaufe 
if they are in any quantity, the odour will extend at 
times to moft of the apartments when the windows 
are open. 
(ENA NT HE. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 312. tab. 166. 
Lin. Gen. Plant. 314. [OlvetvQri, of ofo, a Vine, and 
"Ai/Sfgr’, a flower. The ancients called any plant 
(Enanthe that flowered at the fame time with the 
Vine, orwhofe flowers had the fame odour.] Water 
Dropwort. 
The Characters are, 
It is a plant with an umbelliferous flower ; the principal 
umbel has but few rays , but the particular Umbels have 
many jhort ones. The principal involucrum is compofed 
of many Jingle leaves , which are Jhorter than the umbel ; 
the flmaller umbels have many fmall leaves •, the rays of 
the principal Umbel are difform. Thofe flowers in the 
dijk are hermaphrodite , and are compofed of five heart- 
Jhaped inflex ed petals , Which are alinoft equal % thofe 
of the rays are male , and have five large unequal 
petals which are bifid-,' they have five Jingle Jtamina 
terminated by routtdijh fummits. The germen is Jituated 
under the flower , fupporting two awl- ft aped permanent 
fiyles , crowned by obtufe ftigmas. The germen afterward 
becomes an oval fruit , divided into two parts , containing 
two almoft oval feeds , convex on one fide and plain on the 
other. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fediori. 
of Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, which contains thofe plants 
whofe flowers have five ftamina and two ftyles. 
The Species are, 
1. (Enanthe ( Crocata ) foliis omnibus multifidis obtufis 
fubaequalibus. Hort. Cliff. 99. Water Dropwort , 
whofe leaves all end ih many obtufe points, and are almoft 
equal. (Enanthe fucco virofo, cicUtae facie lobehh 
J. B. 3. p. 2. 193. Hemlock Dropwort. 
2. (Enanthe ( Fiftulofa ) ftolonifera, foliis caulinis pin- 
natis filiformibus fiftulofis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 254. Water 
Dropwort , with Jlender , ftftular , winged leaves growing 
on the ftalks. (Enanthe aquatica. C. B. P. 162. Wa- 
ter Dropzvort. 
3. (Enanthe (. Pimpinelloides ) foliolis radicalibus cunea- 
tis fiflis, caulinis integris linearibus longiflimis cana- 
liculatis. Hort. Cliff. 99. Water Dropwort whofe lower 
leaves are oval and cut , but thofe on the ftalks entire , 
narrow , and channelled. (Enanthe apii folio. C. B. P. 
162. Water Dropwort with a SmaUageleaf. 
4. (Enanthe ( Prolifer a ) umbellularum pedunculis 
marginalibus longioribus ramofis mafculis. Horn 
Upfal. 63. Water Dropwort whofe foot-ftalks on the 
borders of the umbels are longer , branching , and bear 
male flowers. (Enanthe prolifera Apula. C. B. P„ 
163. Childing Water Dropzvort of Apulia. 
5. (Enanthe [Globulofa) frudibus globofis. Hort. Cliff. 
99. Water Dropwort with globular fruit. (Enanthe 
Lufitanica, femine crafliore globofo. Tourn. Inft. 
313. Portugal Water Dropwort , with a thicker globu- 
lar feed. 
The firft of thofe here mentioned, is very common 
by the fides of the Thames on each fide London, as 
alfo by the fides of large ditches and rivers in divers 
parts of England : this plant commonly grows four 
or five feet high with ftrong jointed ftalks, which; 
being broken, emit a yellowifh foetid juice ; the leaves 
are fomewhat like thofe of the common Hemlock, 
but are of a lighter green colour : the roots divide 
into four or five large taper ones, which, when fepa- 
rated, have feme refemblance to Parfneps ; for which 
fome ignorant perfons have boiled them, whereby 
themfelves and family have been poiloned. 
This plant is one of the moft poifonous we know ; 
the juice which is at firft like milk, turns afterward 
to a Saffron colour : if a perfon fliould fwallow ever 
I fo little of this juice, it will fdcontrad every part it 
9 M touches^ 
