P R E 
PRSMANTHES. Lin. Gen. Plant. Si 6. Vaill. 
Mem. arm. 1721. Wild Lettuce. 
The Characters are. 
It hath a fmooth cylindrical empalement fip reading at the 
foim, having many ./sales , which are equal , hut have 
three at the bafe unequal. ’This common empalement in- 
cludes from five to eight 'hermaphrodite florets , : difpofed in 
a Jingle round order ■, they have one petal which is 
fir etched out like a tongue , and indented in four parts at 
the end • they have five Jhort hair-like ftamina, termi- 
nated by cylindrical fummits. 'The germen is fituated un- 
der the petal, fupporting a fender fiyle longer than the 
■fiamina , crowned by a bifid refiexed ftigma. The germen 
afterward becomes a Jingle heart-Jhaped feed , crowned with 
hairy down. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft feflion of 
Linnaeus’s nineteenth ciafs, which includes the plants 
with a flower composed of all hermaphrodite or fruit- 
ful florets, w'bofe fiamina and ftyle are connected. 
The Species, are, 
1. Prenanthes {Mur alis) flofculis quinis, folias runci- 
natis. Hort, Cliff. 383. Prenanthes with five florets and 
Jpear-Jhaped leaves. Lactuca fylveftris murorum, flore 
lilted. J. B. 2. p. 1004. IVild Wall Lettuce with a yel- 
low fewer. 
2. Prenanthes ( Purpurea ) flofculis quinis, foliis lan- 
ceolatis identiculatis. Hort. Cliff. 383. Prenanthes with 
five florets, and fpear-Jhaped indented leaves. Lactuca 
. moQtana purpuro-caeruleo major. C.B.P. 123. Greater 
purple , blue , Mountain Lettuce. 
3. Prenanthes ( Altiffima ) fiofeuliis quinis foliis trilobis, 
caule eredto. Lin. Sp. Plant. 797. Upright Pennant hes 
with five florets , and leaves having three lobes. Prenanthes 
Canadenfis altiffima, foliis variis, flore luteo. Vaill. 
Adi. 1721. Tallefi Prenanthes of Canada, with variable 
leaves and a yellow file flower. 
4. Prenanthes {Amplexi caule) flofculis quinis, caule 
ramofo foliis ovato-lanceolatis femiampkxicaulibus. 
Prenanthes with five florets , a branching Jtalk , and oval 
fpear-floaped leaves half embracing the Jtalk. Ladtuca 
rnontana, purpuro-caerulea minor. C. B. P. 143. 
Smaller purple , >■ blue , Mountain Lettuce. 
The firft fort grows naturally upon walls and dry 
fhady banks in many parts of England, fo is never 
cultivated in gardens. The fecond fort grows natu- 
rally upon the Helvetian Mountains •, this hath a 
creeping root, which fpreads far in the ground, fo be- 
comes a troublefome weed if admitted into gardens. 
The italics of this rife four feet high ; the leaves are 
fpear-fhaped, and a little indented toward their ends j 
the flowers are of a purple blue colour, and are pro- 
duced loofe in panicles from the Odes, and at the top 
cf the ftalks. Thefe appear in July, and are fuc- 
ceeded by feeds which ripen in autumn. 
The third fort grows naturally in molt parts of North 
America, where it is called Dr. Witt’s Rattle-fnake 
root j this feldom lives longer than two years. The 
lower leaves are four or five inches long, and three 
broad ; they are fometimes divided into five lobes, 
but generally into three •, they are indented a little on 
their edges, fmooth, of a dark green on their upper 
fide, but pale on their under. The ftalks rife three 
feet high, and are garnifhed With a few fmall leaves 
which are entire ; the flowers come out from the fide 
of the ftalk in fmall bunches ; thefe are of a pale 
yellow colour, and appear in July. They are fucceeded 
by feeds, crowned with hairy down, which ripen in 
autumn. There is a variety of this with pale purple 
flowers which arife from the fame feeds. The roots 
of thefe plants are faid to be an antidote to expel the 
venom of the rattle-fnake, which induced me to 
mention thefe plants. 
The fourth fort grows naturally on the mountains in 
Germany ; this hath a perennial root. The ftalks rife 
a foot high, and branch out on each fide ; the leaves 
are fpear-fhaped and oval ; their bafe is broad, and 
half furrOunds the ftalk *, the flowers grove loofely up- 
on (lender foot-ftalks, which come out from the fide, 
and at the end of the branches. Thefe appear in June, 
and the feeds ripen in autumn. ' 
P Pv I 
Thefe plants are feldom admitted into gardens, but if 
any per fen is deftr.ous to cultivate them, if they flow 
the feeds foon after they are ripe, in a flickered fitu- 
ation, the plants will come up, and require no other 
care but to keep them clean from weeds, 
P R I M U L A. Lin. Gen. Plant. 1 80. Primula veris. 
Tourn. Inft. R. H. 124. tab. 47. [This plant' is fo 
called, becaufe it is the firft plant that appears in the 
fpring.] The Primrofe 5 in French, Primevere. 
The Characters are, 
The flower hath a five-cornered tubulous empalement of 
one leaf, ending in five acute points it hath one petal , 
with a cylindrical tube the length of the empalement , but 
fpreads open above, where it is cut into five heart-Jhaped 
figments. It has Jive Jhort fiamina fituated in the neck of 
the petal , terminated by erebt acute-pointed fummits, and 
a globular germen fupporting a fender Jlyle , crowned by a 
globular fiigma. The germen afteward turns to an oblong 
capfuls with one cell , opening at the top, filled with fmall 
angular feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft feflion of 
Linnseus’s fifth ciafs, which includes thofe plants 
whofe flowers have five ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Primula {Vais) foliis dentatis rugofis, pedunculis 
unifloris. Primrofe with rough indented leaves , and foot- 
ftalks bearing one flower. Primula veris odorata, flore 
luteo fimplici. J. B. 3. p. 495. Sweet-fmelling Primrofe 
with a fingle yellow flower , or common Primrofe . 
2. Primula {Elation) foliis dentatis rugofis, floribus 
faftigiatis. Primrofe with rough indented leaves , and 
flowers growing in bunches. Primula veris pallido flore 
elatior. Ciuf. Hift. 301. Taller Primrofe with a pale 
flower, called Cowflip. 
3. Primula {Farinofa) foliis crenatis glabris, florum 
limbo piano. Hort. Cliff. 50. Primrofe with fmooth 
crenated leaves, and a plain border to the flower. Pri- 
mula veris rubro flore. Cluf. Hift. 300. Primrofe with 
a red flower , called Bird’ s-eyen. 
4. Primula ( Polyantha ) foliis petiolatis fubcordatis 
crenatis, floribus faftigiatis pedunculis longiffimis. 
Primrofe cr Cowflip with heart-Jhaped crenated leaves 
having foot-ftalks , and flowers growing in bunches on 
very long foot-ftalks. 
The firft fort of Primrofe grows wild in woods, and 
other fhady places in moft parts of England, from 
whence their roots may be eafily tranfplanted into the 
garden, where, if they are placed under hedges, and 
in fhady walks, they make a beautiful appearance 
early in the fpring, when few other plants are in 
flower. 
This plant is fo well known as to need no deferip- 
tion j the flowers and roots of this are ufed in medi- 
cine. 
There are feveral varieties of this which have been 
accidentally obtained, as the paper-white Primrofe 
with fingle and double flowers, the common Prim- 
role with double flowers, the red Primrofe with fingle 
and double flowers ; thefe have but one flower upon 
a foot-ftalk. 
The fecond fort is the Cowflip, or Paigle, or Para- 
lyfis of the (hops •, this grows naturally in meadows 
and moift paftures in many parts of England. The 
flowers of this fort grow in bunches at the top of the 
ftalk, fo are eafily diftinguiflied from the former ^ 
they are much ufed in medicine, and fometimes the 
leaves. As thefe grow wild, their roots may be taken 
up and tranfplanted into gardens. 
The beft time to tranfplant them is at Michaelmas* 
that their roots may have ftrength to produce their 
flowers early in the fpring. Thefe delight in a ftrong 
foil, but will grow in aimoft any fort of earth, pro- 
vided they have a fhady fituation. 
There are a great variety of this at prefent in the gar- 
dens, as the Hofe in Hofe,. the double Cowflip, and 
all the forts of Polyanthus, which have been fo much 
improved within the laft fifty years, as to aimoft equal 
the variety of the Auriculas ; and in feme parts of 
England they are fo much efteemed as to fell for a 
guinea a root, fo that there may be ftill a much 
greater 
