OPtl 
The third fort grows upon chalky hills in federal parts j 
of England ; this hath an oblong, cluttered, bulbous 
root, from which arifes a fmgle ftaik fix inches high, 
having two oblong leaves at bottom, and rarely any 
above ; the flowers are fmall, of a white colour, 
growing in a loofe fpike on tiie top of the ftaik •, they 
have a muiky fcent. This flowers in Auguft. j 
This fort grows naturally in tnoift paftures in the nor- 
them parts of England ; I have alio found it in great 
plenty on Enfield Chace* not far from the town. 
The fourth and fifth forts grow upon the chalk-hills 
near Northfleet in Kent, and alio upon Cauiham-hills 
near Reading; they have roundiih bulbous roots, from 
which come out a few oblong leaves •, the ftalks rife a 
foot and a half high, garni&ed with a few narrower 
leaves ; the flowers grow in a loofe fpike on the top 
of the ftaik ; they are in one of a rufty iron colour, 
and the other hath herbaceous flowers. The lip of 
the ne&arium is divided into three parts, the middle 
fegment being ftretched out much longer than the 
other, and is divided into two ; the upper part of the 
flower being hooded, the whole bears fome refem- 
blance to a naked man. They flower in June. 
The eighth fort grows naturally in dry paftures in 
feveral parts of England, and is commonly called the 
Humble Bee Orchis •, of this there are two or three va- 
rieties found wild in England, and feveral more in 
Spain and Portugal. This hath a roundiih bulbous 
root ; the leaves are like thole of the narrow-leaved 
Plantain. The ftaik rifes fix or feven inches high, 
having two or three Iheath-lhaped leaves embracing 
it, which are ered: ; at the top of the ftaik come 
out two or three flowers without fpurs, havingpurplilh 
crefts and wings. The necftarium is large, lhaped like 
the body of a humble bee, of a dark footy colour, 
with two or three lines running acrofs it of a darker 
or lighter colour, which appear brighter or duller ac- 
cording to the pofition of the flower to the fun. It 
flowers early in June. There are fome varieties of 
this fort, which differ in the colour and flze of their 
flowers. , 
All thefe forts may be preferved in gardens, though 
not propagated there. The belt time to remove the 
roots from the places where they naturally grow, is 
juft before the ftalks fall, for at that time the roots 
may be eafily dilcovered, and then they are begin- 
ning to reft, fo that the bulb will be fully formed for 
flowering the following year, and will not fhrink ; 
but when they are removed at a time of the year 
when they are in addon, the bulb defigned for flower- 
ing the following year, not being fully ripened, will 
fhrink, and frequently perifh; or if they furvive their 
removal, do not recover their former ftrength in lefs 
time than two years. 
When thefe are removed into a garden, the foil mould 
be adapted to the forts. Such of them as grow na- 
turally in moift paftures, fnould be planted in fhady 
moift borders ; thofe which are inhabitants of woods 
may be planted' under trees in wilderneffes, but fuch 
as grow upon chalk- hills ftiould have a bed of chalk 
prepared for them in an open fituation, and when the 
plants are fixed in their feveral places, they fhould 
not be difturbed after ; for if they are kept clean 
from weeds, the lefs the ground is difturbed, the 
better the plants will thrive, and the longer they will 
continue. 
OPUNTIA. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 239. tab. 122. 
Tuna. Hort. Elth. 295. Caftus. Lin. Gen. Plant. 
539. [This plant is called Opuntia, becaufe Theo- 
phraftus writes, that it grows about Opuntium.] The 
Indian Fig, or prickly Pear ; in French, Raquette. 
The Characters are. 
The fiozver is compofed of feveral petals, which are ob- 
tufe , concave , and placed in a circular order , fitting upon 
the ger men. It has a great number of awl -Jh aped Jiamina , 
which are infer ted in the ger men, are foorter than the 
petals, and terminated by oblong . ere It fummits. The 
gerrnen , which isftuated under the flower, fupports a cy- 
lindrical ftyle the length of the Jiamina , crowned by a 
multifld fligma. The germen afterward turns to ajlejhy 
imbilicaied fruit with one cell, inclofmg many roundijh 
feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fecliori 
of TourheforPs fixth clals, which iacludes the herbs 
with a Rofe flower, whofe pointai or empalement 
becomes a fruit with one capfule. Dr. Linnseus places 
It in the firft fee ti on of his twelfth dafs, in which he 
ranges thofe plants whofe flowers have more than 
nineteen ftamina, which are inferred either into the 
empalement, or petals of tile flower. 
The Species are, 
r. Opuntia {Vulgaris) uticulis ovatis compreffis, fpinis 
fetaceis. Indian Fig with oval compreffed joints, and 
briflly fpines . Opuntia vulgb herbariorum. J. ,B. 1. 
1 54. The common Opuntia , or Indian Fig. 
2. Opuntia {Ficus Indica) articulis ovato-oblongis, fpi- 
nis fetaceis. Indian Fig with oblong oval joints , and 
briflly fpines. Opuntia folio oblongo media. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 239. Middle Indian Fig with oblong leaves. 
3. Opuntia {Tuna) articulis ovato-oblongis, fpinis fub- 
ulatis. Indian Fig with oblong oval joints, and awh 
Jhaped fpines. Opuntia major, validiffimis fpinis mu- 
nita, Tourn. Inft. R. FI. 239. Greater Indian Fig 
with very firong fpines. 
4. Opuntia ( Elatior ) articulis ovato-oblongis, fpinis 
longiffimis nigricantibus. Indian Fig with oblong oval 
joints, and very long black fpines. Tuna elatior fpinis 
validis nigricantibus. Hort. Elth. tab. 194. Taller In- 
dian Fig with firong black fpines. 
5. Opuntia ( Maxima ) articulis ovato-oblongis craffiffi- 
mis, fpinis intequalibus. Indian Fig with oblong, oval \ 
thick joints , and unequal jpines. Opuntia maxima, 
folio fpinofo, latiffimo Sc longiffimo. Tourn. Inft. 
240. Greatefi Indian Fig , with the longefi and broadef 
prickly branches. 
6. Opuntia ( Gochinelifera ) articulis ovato-oblongis fub- 
inermibus. Indian Fig with oblong oval joints , ah 
mofl without pines. Opuntia maxima, folio oblon- 
go- rotundo majore, fpinulis mollibus & innocentibus 
obfito, flore ftriis rubris variegato. Sloan. Cat. Jam. 
194. Greatefi Indian Fig, with a larger, oblong , round 
leaf, armed with foft, innocent, fmall fpines, and a flower 
variegated with red firipes, commonly called the Cochi- 
neal Fig. 
7. Opuntia ( Curajfavica ) articulis cylindrico-ventrico- 
fis, compreffis, fpinis fetaceis. Indian Fig with com- 
prised, cylindrical , bellied joints , and briflly fpines. Fi- 
cus Indica, feu Opuntia Curaflavica minima. Hort,- 
Amft. 1. 107. Indian Fig, or the leaf Opuntia of Curafi 
Joa, frequently titled Pinpillozv. 
8. Opuntia ( Spinofjfma ) articulis longiffimis tenuibus 
compreffis, fpinis longiffimis confertiffimis, gracili- 
bus albicantibus armatis. Flouft. MSS. Stalky Indian 
Fig , with large , ' narrow, compreffed leaves, armed with 
the longefi, narrowefl, white fpines, growing in cluflers ; 
this is by the gardeners called, Robinfon Crufods Coat. 
9. Opuntia {Phyllanthus) prolifer enfiformi-compreflus 
ferrato-repandus. Indian Fig with compreffed fword- 
Jhaped joints , whofe indentures turn backward. Cereus 
fcolopendri folio brachiato. ITort. Elth. 73. tab. 64. 
Torch Thiflle with a branching Spleenwort leaf. 
Thefe plants are all of them natives of America, 
though the firft fort is found growing wild on the 
fidesof the roads about Naples, in Sicily, and Spain, 
but it is probable that the plants may have been 
brought from America thither at firft. This fore 
has been long in the Englifh gardens ; the joints or 
branches of this are oval, or roundifh, compreffed on 
their two Tides flat, and have fmall leaves coming out 
in knots on their furface, as alfo on their upper 
edges, which fall off in a (hort time ; and at the fame 
knots there are three or four fhort briflly fpines, 
which do not appear unlefs they are clofely viewed ; 
but on being handled, they enter the flefh, and fepa- 
rate from the plant, lb are troublefome, and often 
very difficult to get out of the fiefh. The branches 
of this fort fpread near the ground, and frequently 
trail upon it, putting out new roots, fo are extended 
to a confiderable diftance, and never rife in height 5 
thefe are flelby and herbaceous while they are young, 
9 O but 
