The feeds of the fifth fort were brought from the 
Levant, and from them there were plants raifed, which 
produced fingle, and others with double flowers, of 
the fame fhape, fize, and colour. The roots of 
thefe are compofed of oblong flefliy tubers or knobs * 
they are of a pale colour, and hang by firings like the 
other fpecies. The ftalks rife about two feet high, 
which are of a pale green, and are garnifhed with 
leaves compofed of feveral lobes, which are irregular 
in fhape and fize, fame of them having but fix, and 
others have eight or ten fpear-ihaped lobes •, thefe are 
fame cut into two, fome three figments, and others 
are entire ; they are of a pale green, and are downy 
on their under fide. The ftalks are terminated by 
one flower of a bright red colour, a little lefs than that 
of the female Peony, and have fewer petals ; they 
have a great number of ftamina, and fometimes two, 
at others three germen, like thofe of the female Pe- 
ony, but fliorter and whiter. This flowers a little 
later than the common Peony. 
The feeds of the fixth fort were fent to the Chelfea 
Garden by Dr. de Juflieu, who brought them from 
Portugal, where the plants grow naturally. The 
root of this fort is not compofed of roundifh tubers 
or knobs, but hath two or three long, taper, forked 
fangs like fingers. The ftalk rifes little more than a 
foot high, and is garnilhed with leaves compofed of 
three or four oval lobes, of a pale colour on their up- 
per fide, and hoary on their under ; the ftalk is ter- 
minated by a fingle flower, which is of a bright red 
colour, fmalier than either of the former, and an agree- 
able fweet (cent. This flowers about the fame time 
with the common fort. 
The firft of thefe forts is chiefly propagated for the 
roots, which are ufed in medicine •, for the flowers 
being fingle, do not afford near fo much pieafure as 
thofe with double flowers, nor will they abide near 
fo long in beauty. 
All the forts with double flowers are preferved in cu- 
rious gardens for the beauty of their flowers, which, 
when intermixed with other large growing plants in 
the borders of large gardens, v/ill add to the variety ; 
and the flowers are very ornamental in bafons or 
flower-pots, when placed in rooms. 
They are all extremely hardy, and v/ill grow in al- 
moft any foil or fituation, which renders them more 
valuable •, for they will thrive under the fnade of 
trees, and in fuch places they will continue much 
longer in beauty. 
They are propagated by parting their roots, which 
multiply very faft. The beft feafon for tranfplanting 
them is toward the latter end of Auguft, or the begin- 
ning of September •, for if they are removed after 
their roots have (hot out new fibres, they feldom 
flower ftrong the fucceeding fummer. 
In parting thefe roots, you fliould always obferve to 
preferve a bud upon the crown of each offset, other- 
wife they will come to nothing; nor fliould you di- 
vide the roots too fmall (efpecially if you have re- 
gard to their blowing the following year) for when 
their offsets are weak, they many times do not flower 
the fucceeding fummer, or at leaft produce but one 
flower upon' each root : but where you would multi- 
ply them in quantities, you may divide them as fmall 
as you pleafe, provided there be a bud to each offset ; 
but then they fliould be planted in a nurfery-bed for 
a feafon or two to get ftrength, before they are placed 
in the flower-garden. 
The fingle forts may be propagated from feeds (which 
they generally produce in large quantities, where the 
flowers are permitted to remain) which fliould be 
fawn in the autumn foon after they are ripe, upon a 
bed of light frelh earth, covering them over about 
half an inch thick with the fame light earth. The 
fpring following the plants will come up, when they 
fhouidhe carefully cleared from weeds, and in very 
dry weather refrefhed with water, which will greatly 
forward their growth. In this bed they 'fliould re- 
main two years before they are tranfplanted, obferving 
In autumn, when the leaves are decayed, to Tpread 
-T £ * JLa 
fome frefti rich earth over the bids about an inch 
thick, and conftantly to keep them clear from weeds. 
When you transplant them, (which thould be done i.n 
September) you mull prepare fome beds of frelh light 
earth, which fliould be dug, and well cleaned from 
the roots of all noxious weeds '; then plant the roots 
therein fix inches afunder, and about three inches 
deep. In thefe beds they may remain until they 
flower, alter which they may be tranfplanted where 
you defign they fliould grow. It is very probable 
there may be fome varieties obtained from the feeds 
of thefe plants, as is common in moft other flowers - 
fo that thofe which produce beautiful flowers, may be 
placed in the flower-garden, but fuch as continue 
fingle or ill coloured, may be planted in beds to pro- 
pagate for medicinal ufe. 
The Portugal Peony may alfo be propagated either 
by feeds, or parting the roots, in the fame manner 
as the other forts, but fliould have a lighter foil and a 
warmer fituation. The flowers of this kind are fingle^ 
but flneil very fweet, which renders it worthy of a 
place in every good garden. 
P A L I U R U S. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 6 1 6. tab. 3 S 7* 
Rhamnus. Lin. Gen. Plant. 235. Chrift’s Thorn, 
The Characters are, 
The flower has no empalement. It hath five petals 'which 
are ranged circularly , and end in acute points. It hath 
five ftamina, which are infer ted in the ft ales under the 
petals , terminated by fmall fummits , and a roundifh trifid 
germen , fupporting three floort flyles, crowned by obtufe 
ftigmas. The germen afterward 'becomes a buckkr-jbaped 
nut divided into three cells , each containing one feed . ~ 
This genus of plants is by Dr. Linnreus joined to 
the Rhamnus, which is ranged in the firft fed ion 
of his fifth clafs, in which are placed thofe plants 
v/hofe flowers have five ftamina and one ltyle ; but 
as the flowers of this have three flyles, fo it fliould 
be ranged in his third lection. 
We know but one Species of this genus, viz. 
PaliurUs {Spina Chrifti.) Dod. Pemptt 84S. Chrijfs. 
Thorn. Rhamnus aculeis geminatis, mferiore refiexo, 
floribus trigynis. Hort. Cliff. 69. Prickly Buckthorn, 
with double thorns , the under ones of which are re flexed, 
and flowers containing three germina. 
This plant grows naturally in the hedges in Palef- 
tine ; it rifes with a pliant fhrubby ftalk to the height 
of eight or ten feet, fending out many weak fiender 
branches, garnifhed with oval leaves placed alternately. 
Handing upon foot-ftalks near one inch long ; theie 
have three longitudinal veins, and are of a pale green. 
The flowers come out at the wings of the ftalk in 
clufters, almoft the length of the young branches ; 
. they are of a greenifh yellow colour, and appear in 
June, and are iucceeded by broad, roundifh, buckler- 
fhaped feed-veffels, which have borders like the brims 
of a hat, the foot-ftalks being faftened to the middle ; 
thefe have three cells, each containingone feed. 
This is by many perfons fuppofed to be the plant, 
from which the crown of thorns which was put upon 
the head of our Saviour, was compofed ; the truth of 
which is fupported by many travellers of credit, who 
affirm that this is one of the moft common fhrubs in 
the country of Judaea; and from the pliablenefs of 
its branches, which may eafily be wrought into any 
figure, it may afford a probability. 
This fhrub grows wild in moft parts of the Levant, 
as alfo in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the fouth of 
France, efpecially near Montpelier, from whence 
their feeds may be procured, for they do not ripen 
in England. Thefe feeds fliould be fown as foon as 
poflible after they arrive, on a bed of light earth, 
and the plants will come up the following fpring- ; 
but when the feeds are kept out of the ground till 
fpring, they will not come up till the next years 
and very often fail ; therefore it is much the ’ beft 
way to flow them in the autumn. Thefe feeding plants 
may be tranfplanted the following feafon into a nur- 
fery to get ftrength, before they are planted out for 
. good. 
It 
