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a great number of flender ftamina, terminated by 
whitifh fummits, and are connected at their bafe into 
feveral fmall bunches. The female flowers which oc- 
cupy the upper part of the fpike, have prickly em- 
palements which inclofe the roundilh germen, upon 
which fit three fhort ftyles, crowned by oblong ftig- 
mas. The germen afterward becomes an oval capfule 
with three deep channels, clofely armed with foft 
fpines, and divided into three cells, each containing 
one oblong ftriped feed. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in the iflands of 
the Weft-Indies, where it is called Agnus Caftus, or 
Oil-tree. This is often confounded with the former, 
molt of the botanifts fuppofing they are the fame plant ; 
but as I have cultivated both more than thirty years, 
in which time I have never obferved either of them 
to vary, fo I think there can be no doubt of their be- 
ing different plants. This hath brown ftalks which 
divide into two or three branches, which rife fix or fe- 
ven feet high; the leaves are broader, and not fo 
deeply divided as thofe of the former ; they are of a 
deep green on both fides, and are unequally fawed. 
The fpikes of flowers are Ihorter, the feed-veffels 
rounder, and of a brownifh colour, and the feeds are 
much lefts, and of a brown colour. 
The third fort grows naturally in the Weft-Indies, 
and is often confounded with the former, but is very 
different. The ftalk of this fort is thick, herbaceous, 
and of a grayifli green ; the joints are clofer than thofe 
of the former forts; it rifes about four feet high, and 
divides into three or four branches which fpread al- 
moft horizontally ; the leaves are large, of a deep 
green on their upper fide, but grayifti on their under ; 
they are deeply cut into fix or feven lobes or fegments, 
which are unequally fawed on their edges. The 
fpikes of flowers are loofe, the covers of the capfules 
are green, and clofely armed with foft fpines, and the 
feeds are fmaller and lighter coloured than thofe of 
the fecond fort. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in both Indies, from 
both which countries 1 have feveral times received the 
feeds. This rifes with an herbaceous italk about 
four feet high ; the lower part is purplifh, and the up- 
per of a deep green ; the joints of this are pretty far 
afunder ; the leaves are of a deep green on their up- 
per fide, but are paler on their under ; they are not 
fo deeply divided as fome of the other forts, and are 
more regularly fawed, the fpikes of flowers are large. 
The male flowers have more ftamina, and their fum- 
mits are yellow ; the capfules are oval and rough, 
but have no fpines ; the feeds are fmall, and of a brown 
colour. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in Africa, and alfo in 
both the Indies ; this rifes with a large reddilh ftalk 
to the height of ten or twelve feet, which has many 
joints, and divides into feveral branches ; the leaves 
are the largeft of any fpecies yet known, I have meat 
fured fome of them which were more than two fee- 
and a half diameter ; they are of a dark green, and 
unequally fawed on their edges, and not fo deeply 
cut as thofe of fome other forts. The fpikes of flowers 
are large, the empalement of the flowers are brown, 
the fummits on the ftamina of the male flowers are 
whitifh ; the capfules are large, oval, and clofely 
armed with foft fpines ; the feeds are very large, and 
beautifully ftriped. 
The ftxth fort grows naturally in the Spanifh Weft- 
Indies, from whence the late Mr. Robert Millar fent 
me the feeds. The plants of this fort are in every re- 
fpedt like thofe of the fifth, but the capfules which 
inclofe the feeds are fmooth; and this difference is per- 
manent, therefore it may be put down as a diftinfl 
fpecies. 
The feventh fort grows naturally in Carolina, and fe- 
veral other parts of America ; of this there are two 
varieties, if not diftindt fpecies ; one of them has a 
red ftalk, and the other a pale green ftalk ; they are 
diftinguifhed by the inhabitants of America, by the 
title of red and white Oil-feed. The ftalks of thel'e 
feldom rife more than three feet high, they fome- 
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times divide at the top into two or three branches j 
the leaves are much lefs than thofe of the other forts, 
and are deeper divided ; their borders are unequally 
fawed, and the fegments of the leaves are frequently 
cut on their fides. The fpikes of flowers are fmaller 
and more compact than thofe of the former forts ; the 
capfules are fmaller, rounder, and of a light green, 
and are clofely armed with foft fpines ; the feeds are 
fmall, and are finely ftriped. 
There are fome other fpecies which grow naturally in 
both Indies, but have not been examined by any cu- 
rious botanift ; for I have received feeds of three or 
four forts, which appeared to be very different from 
any of the known forts, but the feeds of fome were 
too old to grow, and the other were killed before 
their feeds were ripe. 
The forts here enumerated, I have cultivated feveral 
years, and have always found they have kept their 
difference, fo that I have no doubt of their being dil- 
tindl fpecies ; and unlefs they are thus tried, there is 
no poffibility of determining their fpecific difference j 
for when the plants are found growing in different 
foils and fituations, they have fuch different appear- 
ances, as may deceive the moft Ikilful botanift. 
Thefe plants are generally annuals in thefe countries, 
though in their native places of growth they continue 
longer ; and in England the planrs are often pre- 
ferved through the winter (efpecially the firft fort) 
but young plants are much preferable to thofe which 
are thus preferved ; therefore few perfons are at the 
trouble to keep them, unlefs when the feafons prove 
fo bad as that their feeds do not ripen, whereby the 
fpecies might be loft, if the plants are not preferved 
through the winter. 
Thefe plants are propagated by feeds, which muff; be 
fown upon a hot-bed in the fpring, and when the 
plants are come up, they fhould be each planted into 
a feparate pot filled with light frefh earth, and plunged 
into a freih hot-bed, obferving to water and lhade 
them until they have taken root ; after which they 
muff; have a great fliare of free air when the feafon is 
mild, otherwife they will draw up tall, and be very 
weak ; and as thefe plants grow very faft, their roots 
will in a fhort time fill the pots ; therefore they fhould 
be fhifted into larger pots, filled with the like frefh 
earth ; and toward the latter end of May, when the 
feafon is warm, they may be hardened to endure the 
open air by degrees ; and then if fome of the plants 
are fhaken out of the pots* and planted out into a 
very rich border, and in dry weather duly watered, 
- they will grow to a very large fize, particularly the 
firft and fifth forts, which I have feen upward of ten 
feet high in one feafon, and thefe plants have produced 
a great quantity of flowers and feeds : but if you in- 
tend to preferve any of the plants through the winter, 
they muff; not be planted in the full ground, becaufe 
after their roots have been widely extended, there will 
be no tranfplanting them with fafety ; therefore the 
beft way is to fhift them into larger pots from time 
to time, as their roots fhall require, placing them in 
the open air during the fummer feafon in fome warm 
fituation, where they may remain until October, when 
they muff be removed into the houfe with other exo- 
tic plants, obferving to water them fparingly in win- 
ter, and alfo to admit the free air in mild weather ; 
for they only require to be protected from froft and 
cold winds, fo that they will endure the winter in a 
warm green-houfe, without any addition of artificial 
warmth. 
Thefe plants deferve a place in every curious garden 
for the lingular beauty of their leaves (notwithftand- 
ing their flowers make no great appearance) efpecially 
thofe forts which may be propagated every year from 
feeds ; becaufe thofe perfons who have no green-houfe 
to place them into in winter, may cultivate them as 
other annual plants, amongft which thefe being placed, 
either in pots or borders, afford an agreeable variety 
but it muff; be obferved, as thefe are large-growing^ 
plants, never to place them too near other plants ot 
lefs growth, becaufe they will overbear and deftroy 
them i 
