^ ON T E DERI A. Lin. Gen, Plant. 291., Micheiia. 
Houft. MSS. 
The Characters are, 
The flowers arc included in an oblong Jheath , which opens 
on one fide, and hath fix petals, which are divided-, the 
three upper are erect, and form a kind of lip the three 
under are reflexed. It hath Jix flamina which are in- 
fer ted to the petals the three which are longefl , arefafl- 
ened to the mouth of the tube, the other are infer ted in 
the bafle they are terminated by profir ate fummits. Under 
the petals is Jituated an oblong ger men, Juppo'rting a Jingle 
fiyle which declines, and is crowned by a fingle ftigma. The 
germen afterward turns to a foft fruit divided into fix cells, 
each containing fever al fmall rounaijh feeds . 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedlion of 
Linnaeus’s fixth clafs, which includes the plants whofe 
■flowers have fix (lamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. P ONTEDERi a ( Cordata ) foliis cordatis, floribus fpi- 
catis. Pontederia with heart-f japed leaves and fpiked 
flowers. Sagittae fimilis planta paluftris Virginiana, 
fpica flora m caerulea. Mor. Hift. 3. p. 618. Virgi- 
nian marflo plant, like Arrow-head , having a fpike of 
blue flowers. 
2. Pontederia ( Hafiata ) foliis haftatis, floribus um- 
bellatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 412. Pontederia with flpear- 
pointed leaves, and flowers growing in umbels. Sagitta- 
riae quodammodo fimilis planta Maderafpatana, fio- 
ribus medio caule quafi ex utriculo prodeuntibus. 
Pink. Phyt. tab. 220. A plant from Madras, flomewhat 
like Arrow-head, with flowers proceeding from the middle 
of the ftalk. 
The firft fort grows naturally in marfhy places in Vir- 
ginia, and moft parts of North America, and the 
late Dr. Houftoun found it growing plentifully at La 
Vera Cruz. This hath a perennial root, from which 
arife two or three herbaceous thick (talks a foot high, 
each having one heart-fhaped leaf about five inches 
long, and two and a half broad, of a pretty thick 
confluence. The bafe is deeply indented, and the 
two ears are rounded ; the foot-ftalk of the leaf clofe- 
ly embraces the ftalk like a fpathaor fheath, for near 
three inches in length •, above this is another (heath 
which inclofes the fpike of flowers ; this opens on 
one fide, and the ftalk rifes near two inches above it, 
where the fpike of flowers begin. The fpikes are 
about three inches long •, the flowers are blue, fit very 
ciofe together, and have the appearance of lip flowers. 
Thefe appear in June, but are not fucceeded by feeds 
in England. 
As this plant grows naturally in moift boggy places, 
it is very difficult to be preferved in England •, nor 
does the plant arile from feeds here, for 1 have low- 
ed the feeds in various fituations, and managed them 
different, but could never get up any of the plants ; 
but I had three or four of the plants lent me, inclofed 
in large clods of earth from New England, which I 
planted in pots, covering them with Mofs, and con- 
ftantly fupplied them with water. With this ma- 
• nagement two of them flowered, but the following 
winter deftroyed them, as they were not put under 
fhelter ; fo that to preferve them, they ffioukl be 
placed under a hot-bed frame in winter, where they 
may be expofed to the open air at all times when the 
weather is mild. 
The fecond fort grows naturally about Madras in 
watery places. This rifes with a fingle ftalk eight or 
nine inches high, having one arrow-pointed leaf, whofe 
bafe embraces the ftalk like a ffieath, and from the 
open fide of the fheath comes out the flowers, which 
are at firft inclofed in another fmaller fheath •, thefe 
grow in a fmall kind of umbel •, they are compofed of 
fix acute-pointed petals which fpread open.. Each 
flower (lands upon a (Lender foot-ftalk about an inch 
long •, the foot ftalk of the leaf rifes a confiderable 
height above the flowers, fo that they appear to come 
out from the middle of the ftalk. 
This fort is much more difficult to preferve in Eng- 
land, becaufe it grows naturally in a hot country, and 
always in places flowed with water. There was for- [ 
merry one of thefe plants brought over to Charles 
Duboiic, E<q, at Mitcham, but it was not long- lived 
here. 
P O P U L A GO. See Caltha. 
POPULUS. fourn. Inft. R. II. 592, tab. 364. 
Lin. Gen. Plant. 996. The Poplar-tree j in French, 
Peuplier. 
The Characters are. 
The male and female flowers grow upon feparate trees. 
The male flowers or katkins have one. oblong, loofe , cylin- 
drical empalement , which is imbricated. Under each fleale , 
which is oblong, plain, and cut on the border , is fituai- 
. ed a fingle flower without any petal , having a netlarhm 
of one leaf, turbinated at the bottom , and tubulcus at the 
top, and eight flamina terminated by large four-cornered 
fummits. The female flowers are in katkins like the male , 
but have no flamina they have an oval acute-pointed 
germen, with fear ce any fiyle, crowned by a four-pointed 
ftigma. The germen afterward becomes an oval capfnle 
with two cells , including many oval feeds having hairy 
down. ' J 
This genus of plants is ranged in the feventh feftion 
of Linnaeus’s twenty-fecond clafs, which contains thofe 
plants whofe male flowers have eight (lamina, and 
grow upon diftindt plants from the fruit. 
The Species are, 
1. Populus {Alba) foliis fubrotundis dentato-ano-ulatis 
fubtus tomentofis. Elort. Cliff. 460. Poplar-tree with 
rmindijh angular leaves, which are downy on their under 
fide. Populus alba majoribus folii. C. B. P. 429. 
White Poplar with larger leaves, commonly called the 
Abele-tree. 
2. Populus {Tremula) foliis fubrotundis, dentato-angu- 
latis utrinque glabris. Hort. Cliff. 460. Poplar-tree 
■ with round! Jh leaves , which are angularly indented, and 
fimooth on both Jides. Populus tremula. C. B. P. 429. 
3. Populus {Nigra) foliis deltoidibus acuminatis ferra- 
tis. Hort. Cliff. 460. Poplar with pointed flawed leaves, 
fljaped like the Delta. Populus nigra. C. B. P. 429. 
Black Poplar. 
4. Populus {Major) foliis angulatis ferratis, fubtus to- 
mentofis fuperne virentibus. Poplar with larger angu- 
lar Jawed leaves, downy on their under fide , and dark 
• green on their upper. Populus alba majoribus foliis. 
C. B. P. 429. Greater white Poplar, or Abele-tree. 
5. Populus ( Balfamifera ) foliis lubcordatis oblongis cre- 
natis. Hort. Cliff. 460. Poplar-tree with oblong leaves 
which are crenated, and almoft heart-Jhaped. Populus 
nigra folio maximo, gemmis balfamum odoratiffimum 
fundentibus. Catefb. Carolin. 1. p. 34. The Carolina 
Poplar-tree. 
6. Populus {Tacamahacca) foliis fubcordatis, infernein- 
canis, fuperne atroviridis. Poplar with leaves which 
are almoft heart -fljaped, hoary on their under fide, and of 
a dark green above. Populo fimilis arbor refinofa altera. 
C. B. P. 430. Another refinous tree like the Poplar, com- 
monly called Tacamahacca. 
The firft fort grows naturally in the temperate parts 
of Europe this and the fourth fort are frequently 
confounded together, but they are certainly different 
lpecies. The fourth fort is commonly called Abele- 
tree here, and the firft white Poplar. The leaves of 
the fourth fort are large, and divided into three, four, 
or five lobes, which are indented on their edges ; they 
are of a very dark colour on their upper fide, and 
very white and downy on their under, (landing upon 
foot-ftalks which are about an inch long. The young 
branches of this tree have a purple bark, and are co- 
vered with a white down, bur the bark of the ftem 
and older branches is gray. In the beginning of April 
the male flowers or katkins appear, which are cylin- 
drical, lcaly, and three inches long, and about a week 
after come out the female flowers on katkins, which 
have no (lamina like thofe of the male. Soon after 
thefe come out, the male katkins fall off, and in five 
or fix weeks after, the female flowers will have ripe 
feeds inclofed in a hairy covering, when the katkins 
will drop, and the feeds will be wafted by the winds 
to a great diftance.- ' * ■ 
The 
