half broad in the middle, of a dark green colour, 
fawed on their edges, and ending in acute points. 
The {talks rife three feet high, fending out branches 
by pairs their whole length •, thefe are garnifhed with 
leaves by pairs, which toward the top fit dole to the 
{talk. The flowers grow in whorled fpikes at the 
top, having no leaves under them •, they are fmall, 
of a bright blue colour, and the top of the fpike is 
terminated with very deep blue flowers, which are 
barren ; thefe appear in July, and are fucceeded by 
feeds which ripen in September. It is propagated by 
feeds in the fame manner as the other forts, and the 
roots will abide many years. 
The eleventh fort grows naturally in moift land both 
in Germany and Italy ; this hath an abiding root, com- 
pofed' of firong ligneous fibres. The leaves are 
heart-fhaped and pointed like a halbert; they are four 
inches long, and three broad at their bafe, of a pale 
yellowifh green colour, and fawed on their edges, 
Handing upon foot-ftalks three or four inches long. 
The {talks, are firong, four-cornered, and rife near 
four feet high •. they are garnifhed below with fmaller 
leaves, but the upper part of the ftalk is clofely fet 
with whorls of large yellow flowers, which appear 
in June, and are fucceeded by feeds which ripen in 
Auguft. The whole plant is very clammy, and has 
a firong fcent fomewhat like the firft fpecies ; this is 
propagated by feeds in the fame way as the other 
forts ; it is very hardy, and will continue feveral 
years, and may be increafed by parting of the roots 
in autumn. 
The twelfth fort grows naturally in Italy ; this has 
krge fwelling roots like dugs, or thofe of the Piony, 
from which arife many oval heart-fhaped leaves ly- 
ing on the ground ; they are five or fix inches long, 
and almoft four broad at their bafe, where they are 
eared *, they have pretty long foot-ftalks, and are 
hairy •, their edges are indented and a little wrinkled. 
Between thefe arife firong four-cornered ftalks about 
four feet high, garnifhed with leaves placed oppofite. 
The upper part of the ftalk is garnifhed with loofe 
fpikes of whorled flowers, of a purple colour, which 
appear in June, and are fucceeded by feeds which ri- 
pen in autumn. This is propagated by feeds in the 
lame way as the other forts, and the roots will conti- 
nue feveral years. 
The thirteenth fort grows naturally in the Canary 
I (lands ; this hath a perennial fhrubby ftalk which 
rifes five or fix feet high, dividing into many branches 
which are covered with a flocky down, and are gar- 
nifhed with halbert-fhaped triangular leaves three 
inches and a half long, and one and a half broad at 
their bafe, where are two acute angular ears ; they are 
placed oppofite, Handing upon long woolly foot- 
ftalks. The top of the ftalk branches out in many 
foot-ftalks, forming a fort of panicle. The flowers 
are of a light blue colour, and are ranged in whorled 
fpikes, having two fmall leaves under each whorl. 
This plant flowers from June to autumn, but rarely 
produces any feeds here. It is propagated by cut- 
tings, which may be planted any time in fummer ; 
if thefe are planted in a bed of loft loamy earth, and 
covered clofe with a bell or hand-glafs, obferving to 
fhade them from the fun, and refrefh them with water 
as they may require it, they will take root very freely, 
then they muft be inured to the open air ; after 
they have put out good roots, they fhould be care- 
fully taken up, and each planted in a feparate fmall 
pot filled with light frefh earth, placing them in the 
fhade till they have taken new root •, then they may 
be placed among other hardy kinds of green-houfe 
plants in a fheltered fituation till Ofitober, when they 
fhould be removed into fhelter before hard froft comes 
on ,j but as they only require protection from hard 
froft, ib they fhould have as much free air as pofiible 
in mild weather. 
The fourteenth fort grows naturally in Mexico ; 
this rifes with a fhrubby ftalk eight or ten feet 
high, fending out (lender four-cornered branches, 
of" a purplifh colour, garnifhed with oval leaves 
S C L 
which are pointed at both ends and fawed on their 
edges •, they have long {lender foot-ftalks, are thin, 
of a pale green colour, and hairy on their under fide. 
The flowers grow in clofe thick fpikes at the end of 
the branches ; they are of a fine blue colour, and ap- 
pear in winter, fo make a pretty variety in the green- 
houfe at that feafon. This plant never produces feeds 
in England, fo it is only propagated by cuttings, which 
may be planted during any of the fummer months, 
in the fame manner as the former fort ; and the plants 
may be treated afterward in the fame way, with this 
difference, which is, to give it a dry fituation in win- 
ter, for the young (hoots are very apt to grow mouldy 
upon being in a damp air. 
The fifteenth fort grows naturally in Sicily, and alfo 
in the Archipelago. This hath an abiding root, which 
in dry foils will Jive feveral years ; the leaves are oval, 
of a thick confidence, and are very woolly, having fe- 
veral irregular indentures on their borders ; the ftalk 
rifes near a foot and a half high, fending out two or 
four branches near the bottom, which grow e refit ; 
thefe are garnifhed with pretty large whorls of white 
flowers, which appear in June ; thofe whorls on the 
lower part of the ftalks are fruitful, but toward 
the top they are barren ; the feeds of the fruitful 
flowers will ripen the beginning of Auguft, which 
fhould be then gathered, otherwife they will drop. 
This is propagated by feeds, which fhould be fowti 
the beginning of April, in a dry or rubbifhy foil, 
where the plants will live through the winter in the 
open air, and the fecond year will produce flowers 
and feeds. 
There are fome other forts of lefs note, which are pre- 
ferved in botanic gardens for the fake of variety ; but 
thofe here mentioned are worthy of a place in large 
gardens, where, if they are intermixed among other 
large growing plants, they will afford a pretty vari- 
ety, especially the fifth, eighth, tenth, and eleventh 
forts, which produce long fpikes of beautiful flowers, 
and continue a long time in flower. The flowers of 
the eleventh fort are ufed in Holland, to give a fla- 
vour to the Rhenifh wines, which are brewed at Dordt. 
All thefe forts may be propagated by {owing of their 
feeds upon a bed of frefft earth in March or April ; 
and when the plants are come up, they fhould be 
tranfplanted into beds of frefh earth about eight 
inches afunder, obferving to water them until they 
have taken root ; after which they will require no 
farther care but to keep them clear from weeds until 
Michaelmas, when they fhould be tranfplanted into 
the places where they are to remain, placing them 
at a large diftance, for they fpread pretty far pro* 
vided the foil be good. If fo, they fhould be planted 
eicrht or ten feet diftant, being intermixed with other 
plants. Some of thefe forts will endure feveral years, 
provided they are planted on a frefh foil, not over 
moift or rich. 
SCLERANTHUS, German Knot-Grafs, or an- 
nual Knawel. 
There are two fpecies of this genus which grow na- 
turally wild in England, fo are rarely admitted into 
gardens, therefore I fhall not. trouble the reader with 
any farther account of them. 
SCOLYMUS. Tourn. Inft. 480. tab. 273. Lin. 
Gen. Plant. 922. The Golden Thiftle ; in French, 
Epine Jams . 
The Characters are. 
It hath a flower compofed ofl many hermaphrodite florets , 
included in an oval imbricated empalement , having many 
loofe Jharp -pointed flcales. The florets are tongue-Jhaped , 
of one petal which is torn and fiightly indented in Jive 
parts. Ehey have five floort hair-like ft amina , terminated by 
tubulous fummits. Ehe germen is /mated under the floret, 
fnpporting a fender fltyle longer than the ft amina, crowned 
by two reflexed ftigmas. The germen afterward becomes 
a Jingle feed , which is oblong , triangular , and ripens in 
the empalement, the feeds being fleparated by plain , round- 
ijh , indented chaff. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fefilion of 
Linnteus’s nineteenth clafs 8 which contains thofe plants 
whole 
