POL 
The fix th fort grows naturally in Maryland this hath 
a perennial root, from which arife two or three ftalks' 
about eight inches high, which divide into feveral 
ere61 branches, garniftied with fmall linear leaves of a 
dark oreen colour. The flowers are collected into ob- 
long heads at the end of the ftalks ; they are fmall, 
and of a purplifh blue colour. 
Both thefe forts are difficult to obtain, for the feeds 
rarely fucceed, fo the beft way is to procure their roots 
from America, and when they arrive plant them in a 
bed of light earth in a fheltered fituation. Iniummer 
they inuft be kept clean from weeds, and it the fur- 
face of the ground about their roots is covered with 
old tanners bark, or any other kind ct mulch in win- 
ter, to keep out the froft, it will be aiecure method 
topreferve them. 
The ieventh fort was difcovered by the late Dr. Houf- 
toun growing naturally at La "V era Cruz : this hath 
a taper perennial root which runs deep in the ground, 
from which arife feveral {lender branching ftalks about 
fix or {even inches high, garniftied with downy fpear- 
Ihaped leaves an inch long, and halt an inch broad 
in the middle, drawing to a point at both ends, i he 
flowers are produced in loofe fpikes at the end of the 
branches *, they are larger than thofe of the common 
fort, and are of a bluifh purple colour. The keel of 
the flower is bearded, as in the common fort. 
This is too tender to live in the open air in England, 
and it is one of thofe plants which will not thrive in 
pots, fo is difficult to preferve here. It is propagated 
by feeds, which mult be procured from abroad. The 
feeds, which I received from Dr. Houftoun, remained 
a year in the ground before the plants appeared, and 
the plants lived one year ; but when their roots 
reached the bottom of the pots, they decayed •, and 
thofe which were tranfplanted into larger pots did not 
furvive their removal, though it was performed with 
great care. 
POLYGON ATUM. See Convallaria. 
POLYMNTA. Lin. Gen. 987. Hard-feeded Chry- 
fanthemum. 
The Characters are, 
The flower hath a double emf dement -, the outer is corn- 
pofed of five large fpreading leaves, the inner of ten ere 51 
fpear-floaped leaves-, it hath a radiated flower, whofe 
dtjk is compcfed of hermaphrodite florets, and the border , 
or rays, of five female half florets, which are tongue- 
[haped and trifid. The hermaphrodite florets are funnel - 
fhaped, have each five fiamina terminated by cylindrical 
fimmits, which are longer than the petals they have a 
a fmall ger men, fupporting a fender fly le, crowned by an 
cat ufe fligrna -, thefe are barren. The female half florets 
have a large gcrmen, with a fender ftyle the length of 
the tube , crowned by two pointed fligmas thefe have 
each one oval gibbous feed lodged in the fcaly receptacle , 
fucceeding them. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fourth fection 
of Linnaeus’s nineteenth clafs, intitled Syngenefia 
Polygamia neceftaria, the plants having hermaphro- 
dite and female florets ; the former having five {ta- 
rn ina whole fummits are connected, the latter are 
fruitful. 
The Species are, 
1. Polvmnia ( Uvedalia ) foliis oppofitis haftato-fmuatis. 
Lin. So. 1303. Hard-feeded Chryfanthemum , with finu- 
ated leaves placed cppofite. Chryfanthemum angulofis 
platan! foliis Virginianum. Pluk. Phyt. tab. 83. f. 3. 
2. Po l y mn i a ( Can-adenfis ) foliis alternis haftato-fmuatis. 
Lin. Sp. 1303. Hard-feeded Chryfanthemum, with finu- 
ated leaves placed alternate. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Virginia, from whence 
I have received the feeds ; this hath a perennial root, 
which runs deep in the ground, fending up in the 
fpring many ftalks in proportion to their fize ; thefe 
in moift good ground will rife near ten feet high, and 
are garniftied with large, angular, fmuated leaves eight 
or ten inches over, of a light green, placed oppofite •, 
the ftalks are terminated by a clufter of yellow 
flowers fitting dole, having very ftort foot-ftalks ; 
each having five female half florets in their borders. 
and feveral hermaphrodite, florets in their middle; 
which are encompafled by a double empalemenr; 
the outer having five fpreading leaves, the inner ten 
ereft ones ; the flowers appear in October, which is 
too late to be fucceeded by feeds in England % the 
ftalks decay in winter,, and. new ones arife in the 
fpring. 
The fecund fort 
North America ; 
grows natural'/ in feveral 
this has alfo an -abiding roo 
parts of 
t, which 
fends up many tall ftalks in the luring, which rife ai- 
med: as high as thofe of the other fort thefe are gar- 
niftied with large, angular, fmuated leaves, of a deeper 
green than thofe of the former, which are placed al- 
ternately-, the flowers are of a paler yellow colour, 
and fit clofe on the top of the ftalks thefe appear 
late in the autumn, fo are not fucceeded by feeds in 
England. 
Thefe plants are both propagated by feeds, which 
mu ft be procured from the countries where the plants 
grow naturally, fo that the feeds feldom arrive here 
tiil toward the fpring and being town at that ieafpn, 
the plants feldom come up until the following fpring j 
whereas, if the feeds could be obtained in November, 
and were immediately iown, the plants. would appear 
the following fpring, whereby a year would behaved. 
The feeds foouid be fown in a bed of light ground in 
the open air and when the plants come up, they 
fhould be thinned if they are too clofe, and kept clean 
from weeds till the following autumn, when the roots 
fhould be carefully taken up, and tranfplanted to the 
places where they are to remain, allowing each plant 
at leaft three feet room to grow, obferying to keep 
them clean from weeds, and to dig the ground about 
them every fpring. 
P O L Y P O D I U M. Tourn Inft. K, H. 540. tab. 3 1 6. 
Lin. Gen. Plant, [of zroxf many, and zrcvg a foot, 
q. d. many feet. This kind of plant ftrikes its roots 
into every part it can lay hold of, whether it be ftone, 
earth, or tree, it is the fame thing, efpeeeially if it 
be a tree of the Oak kind.] Polypody. 
The Characters are, 
This is one of the Fern tribe, which is clifiinguijhed from 
the others, by the fructification being in reimdtfh fpots,dif- 
tributed on the under Jur face of 4 he leaf. 
It is ranged in the firft fection of Tournefort’s fix- 
ttenth clafs, which includes the herbs, which haye 
no vifible flower, whofe fruit is fattened on the leaves. 
The Species are, 
1. Polypgdium ( Vulgare ) frondibus pinnatifidis, pin- 
nis oblongjs fubferratis obtufis, radice fquamata. Lin. 
Sp. Plant. 1085. Polypody with wing-pointed leaves hav- 
ing oblong obtufe lobes, which are fomewhat fawed, and 
a fcaly root. Poly podium vulgare. C. B. P. 359. 
Common Polypody. 
2. Poly podium ( ' Cambrhim: ) frondibus pinnatifidis, pin- 
nis lanceolatis lacero-pinnatifidis ferratis. Lin. Sp. 
Plant. 1086. Polypody with wing-pointed leaves, whofe 
lobes are fpear-fhaped , and the jags wing-pointed and 
fawed. Polypodium Cambro-Britannicum, pinnulis 
ad margines laciniatis. Rail Syn. Wejh Polypody wii\ 
jagged leaves. 
There are many other fpecies of this plant which are 
natives’ of America, forne of which are preferved in. 
the curious botanic gardens for variety ; but as they 
- are rarely cultivated in other gardens, it may not be 
thought neceffary to enumerate them in this place. 
The firft fort is that which is ufed in medicine, and 
is found growing upon old walls and fhady banks in 
divers parts of England. The fecond fort was brought 
from Wales, where it grows in great plenty, and is 
the moft beautiful of all the forts. Thefe plants may 
be propagated by parting of their roots in the fpring 
before they fnoot, and fhould be planted in a very poor 
moift foil under the fliade of a wall •, for if they are 
expofed to the fun, they will not thrive. They chiefly 
delight to grow out of the joints of walls and old 
buildings, but are commonly found expofed to the 
North. 
POMGRANA T E. See Punica. 
P O M U M ADA M I. See Aurantium, 
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P O N- 
