q& the Cretan Dittany with that of Mount Sipylus 
j:or the plants now in the Chelfea Garden were acci- 
dentally produced from the feeds of one fpecies, where 
doth forts flood near each other in the garden of John 
Browning, Efq; of Lincoln’s-Inn •, the feeds were 
dropped from the plant into the border between the ] 
two forts, ,fo that it is uncertain from which fpecies ; 
but as the ftalks and heads of luch flowers bear a 
greater refemblance to the Dittany of Mount Sipylus, 
we may luppofe it arofe from the feeds of that, which 
had beeir impregnated by the farina of the Cretan 
Dittany, which grew near it-, for the ‘under leaves of 
thjs are round, of a thick texture and woolly, fo nearly 
refembling thofe of the Cretan Dittany, as not to be 
diftinguifhed from it ^ but the ftalks rife full as high 
as thofe of the Dittany of Sipylus, but branch out 
more their whole length ; they are of a purple colour 
and hairy. 1 he lower leaves on the ftalks are much 
larger than thofe of Mount Sipylus, and are hairy, ap- 
proaching to thofe of the Cretan Dittany, but are not 
fo thick or woolly j the upper leaves are fmooth, and 
approach to thofe of the other fort, but are larger, as 
are alfo the Ipikes of flowers, and the fcaly leaves 
which cover the flowers are larger and of a deeper 
purple colour. 
I have alfo dried famples of another variety, which 
arofe from feeds in the Leyden Garden * the feeds were 
lent from Paris, by the title which Tournefort gave to 
that which he found in the Levant, which I have 
joined to the variety before-mentioned. The leaves 
of this are as large as thofe of the Dittany of Crete, 
but are not fo thick or woolly ; the ftalks rife more 
like thofe of the Dittany of Mount Sipylus, but branch 
out wider at the top ; the flowers grow in clofer cluf- 
ters, and do not nod downward ; they are fmall, and 
fhaped like thofe of the former fort, flowering at the 
lame time. 
By the title which Dr. Linnaeus has given to the 
Cretan Dittany, it may be fuppofed he has not feen 
the true fort, for his title better fuits the variety to 
which I have applied it ; for all the leaves of the true 
Dittany are very thick and woolly, even thofe which 
are fituated immediately below the flowers, whereas 
the lower leaves only are fo in this title. 
The thirteenth fort grows at Syracufe ; this hath pe- 
rennial ligneous ftalks which rife a foot and a half 
high, dividing into many fmall branches, which are 
garniftied with fmall heart-fhaped leaves a little larger 
than thofe of Marjoram, which are woolly. The 
flowers grow in oblong tufted fpikes which are hairy j 
they are fmall, white, and peep out of their fcaly co- 
vers they appear in July, but feldom perfedt feeds 
in England. This is propagated by cuttings or flips, 
in the fame way as the tenth fort, and the plants re- 
quire the fame treatment. 
The firft and fixth forts are ufed in medicine, but the 
lirft being a native of this country, is frequently fub- 
ftituted for the other, which is pretty rare in Eng- 
land, and is now feldom imported here. When the 
firft fort is ufed, thofe plants which grow upon dry 
barren ground are to be preferred, as they are much 
ftronger and have greater virtue than thofe which grow 
on good land, or are cultivated in gardens. 
The Dittany of Crete is alfo ufed in medicine, but 
the dried herb is generally imported into England, 
which, by being clofely packed, and the voyage be- 
ing long, it lofes much of its virtue fo that if the 
plants of Englifh growth were ufed, they would be 
found much better. 
O R N ITHOGALU M. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 378. 
tab. 203. Lin. Gen. Plant. 377. ['OgvAlyctXov, of opw?, 
a bird, and ydx, x, milk, i. e. a plant whofe flowers 
are as white as the white plumes of feathered ani- 
mals.] Star of Bethlehem. 
The Characters are, 
The flower has no empalement. It is compofed of fix 
petals , whofe under parts are erebl, but fpread open above , 
and are permanent. It hath fix erebi ft amina about half 
the length of the petals, crowned by Jingle fummits , with an 
angular germen , fupporting an awlfhaped ftyk which is 
permanent , terminated by an obtufe ftigma . The germen 
afterward turns to a roundifh angular cap file With three 
cells , filled with roundifh feeds . 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion 
of Linnaeus’s fixth clafs, in which are contained thofe 
plants whofe flowers have fix ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Ornithogalum ( Tyrenaicum ) racemo longiffimo, 
filamentis lanceolatis, pedunculis floriferis patentibus 
ssqualibus, frudliferis fcapo approximate. Lin. Sp. 
Plant. 440. Star-flower with a very long fpike of flowers, 
fpear-Jhaped filaments, and foot -ftalks to the flowers equal, 
fpre acting, and thofe of the fruit approaching to the ftalk. 
Ornithogalum anguftifolium majus, fioribus ex alho 
virefcentibus. C. B. P. 70. Greater narrow-leaved Star- 
flower, with whitijh green flozvers. 
2. Ornithogalum (Pyr ami dale) racemo conico, flori- 
bus numerofis adfeendentibus. Prod. Leyd. 32. Star- 
flower with a conical fpike , having numerous flowers rifling 
a, hove each other. Ornithogalum anguftifolium, fpica- 
tum, maximum. C. B. P. 70. Largeft fpiked Star- 
flower with a narrow leaf. 
3. Ornithogalum (. Latifolium ) racemo longiffimo, fo- 
lks lanceolato-enfiformibus. Lin. Sp. Plant? 307. Star- 
flower with the longeft fpike , and fpear-fhaped leaves. 
Ornithogalum latifolium & maximum. C. B. P. 70.. 
Great eft broad-leaved Star-flower , called the Star-flower 
of Alexandria. 
4. Ornithogalum ( Nutans ) fioribus fecundis pendulis, 
nedtario ftamineo campaniformi. Lin. Sp. Plant. 308. 
Star-flower with fruitful hanging flozvers, and a beil-flhaped 
neblariurn. Ornithogalum Neapolitanum. Cluf. App. 
2. p. 9. Star-flower of Naples. 
5. Ornithogalum (. Luteum ) fcapo angulato diphyllo, 
pedunculis umbellatis flmplicibus. Flor. Suec. 270. 
Star-flower with an angular flalk having two leaves, and 
flngle umbellated foot -ftalks. Ornithogalum luteum. C. 
B. P. 71. Yellow Star-flower. 
6 . Ornithogalum ( Minimum ) fcapo angulato diphyllo, 
pedunculis umbellatis ramofis. Flor. Suec. 271. Star- 
flower with an angular flalk bearing two leaves, and 
branching foot-Jlalks having umbels. Ornithogalum lu- 
teum minus. C. B. P. 71. Smaller yellow Star-flower. 
7. Ornithogalum ( 'Umbellatim ) fioribus corymbofis, 
pedunculis fcapo altioribus, filamentis emarginatis. 
Hort. Cliff. 124. St ar-flower zvith flowers growing in a 
corymbus, whofe foot ftalks are taller than the flalk, and 
indented filaments. Ornithogalum umbellatum medium 
anguftifolium. C. B. P. 70. Middle umbellated Star- 
flower having narrow leaves. 
8. Ornithogalum ( Arabicum ) fioribus corymbofis, pe- 
dunculis fcapo humilioribus, filamentis emarginatis. 
Prod. Leyd. 32. Star-flozver with flowers growing in a 
corymbus , foot-ftalks lower than the flalk , and indented 
filaments. Ornithogalum Arabicum. Cluf. Hift. 11. 
p. 186. Star-flower of Arabia. 
9. Ornithogalum (Capenfe) foliis cordatis ovatis. Prod. 
Leyd. 31. Star-flower with oval heart-fhaped leaves. 
Ornithogalum Africanum plantaginis rofeae folio, ra- 
dice tuberosa. Hort. Ainft. 2. p. 175. African Star- 
flozver, with a Rofle Plantain leaf and a tuberous root. 
10. Ornithogalum ( Tuberofum ) racemo breviffimo, 
foliis teretibus fiftulofis. Star-flower with a very flhori 
fpike , and taper fiftular leaves. Ornithogalum Africa- 
num, luteum odoratum, foliis cepaceis, radice tu- 
berosa. FI. L. African Star-flower having yellow fweet 
flowers, leaves refembling thofe of the Onion , and a tu- 
berous root. 
The firft fort grows naturally near Briftol, and alfo 
near Chichefter in Suffex, and fome other parts of 
England. This hath a pretty large bulbous root, from 
which come out feveral long keel-fhaped leaves, which 
fpread on the ground between thefe come out a 
Angle naked ftalk about two feet long, fuftaining a 
long loofe fpike of flowers of a yellowifh green co- 
lour, Handing upon pretty long foot-ftalks, -which 
fpread wide from the principal ftalk •, the petals of 
the flowers are narrow, making but little appearance. 
The flowers have an agreeable feent •, they appear in 
May, and when the feed-veffiels are formed, the foot- 
ftalks 
