S E M 
4 
The fecond fort grows naturally in marfhy 'places in 
Germany. The leaves of this are much longer and 
cut into narrower fegments than thofe of the former ; 
the ftalks rife higher ; the umbels are larger, as are 
alfo the feeds. The whole plant abounds with a 
cauftic milky juice. 
Thefe plants are preferved in botanic gardens for va- 
riety, but are rarely cultivated any where elfe ; they 
are eafily propagated by feeds, which fhould be fown 
in autumn, and the plants afterward treated in the 
fame way as Angelica. 
SEMIFISTULAR FLOWERS are fuch 
whofe upper part refembles a pipe cut off obliquely, 
as in Ariftolochia or Birthworc. 
SEMINAL LEAVES are thofe plain, foft, and 
undivided leaves that firft fhoot forth from the great- 
eft part of all fown feeds, which leaves are very dif- 
ferent from thofe which fucceed on the fame plant, in 
fize, figure, furface, and pofition. 
A SEMINARY is a feed-plot which is adapted or 
fet apart for the fowing of feeds. Thefe are of dif- 
ferent natures and magnitudes, according to thefeve- 
ral plants intended to be railed therein. If it be in* 
tended to raife foreft or fruit-trees, it muft be propor- 
tionally large to the quantity of trees defigned, and 
the foil fhould be carefully adapted to the various 
forts of trees. Without fuch a place as this every 
gentleman is obliged to buy, at every turn, whatever 
trees he may want to repair the Ioffes he may fuftain 
in his orchard, wildernefs, or larger plantations, fo 
that the neceffity of fuch a fpot of ground will eafily 
be perceived by every one ; but, as I have already 
given directions for preparing the foil, and fowing 
the feeds in fuch a Seminary, under the article of 
Nursery, I fhall not repeat it in this place, but refer 
the reader to that article. 
It is alfo as neceffary for the fupport of a curious 
flower-garden, to have a fpot of ground fet apart for 
the fowing of all forts of feeds of choice flowers ; in 
order to obtain new varieties, which is the only me- 
thod to have a fine collection of valuable flowers, as 
alfo for the fowing of all forts of biennial plants to 
fucceed thofe which decay in the flower-garden, by 
which means the borders may be annually replenifh- 
ed, which, without fuch a Seminary, could not befo 
well done. 
This Semin ary fhould be fituated at fome diftance from 
the houfe, and be entirely clofed either with a hedge, 
wall, or pale, and kept under lock and key, that all 
vermin may be kept out, and that it may not be ex- 
pofed to all comers and goers, who many times do 
mifchief before they are aware of it. As to the fitua- 
tion, foil, and manner of preparing the ground, it 
has been already mentioned under the article of Nur- 
sery, and the particular account of raifing each fort 
of plant being directed under their proper heads, it 
would be needlefs to repeat it here. 
SEMINIFEROUS. Bearing or producing feed. 
SEMPERVIVUM. Lin. Gen. Plant. 538. Sedi 
fpecies. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 262. tab. 140. 
The Characters are, 
The flower has a concave permanent empalement cut into 
many acute fegments ; it has ten oblong , fpear-Jhaped , 
pointed petals a little longer than the empalement , and 
twelve or more narrow awl-Jhaped flamina terminated by 
roundifh fummits •, it has twelve germen placed circularly , 
Jitting upon fo many flyles which fpread out , and are crown- 
ed by acute fligmas. the germen afterward become fo many 
fljort comprejfed capfuks , pointed on the outflde , and open 
cn the infide , filled with fmall feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fifth fection of 
Linnaeus’s eleventh clafs, which includes thofe plants 
whofe flowers have twelve ftamina and many ftyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Sempervivum (T edlorum) foliis ciliatis, propaginibus 
patentibus. Lin. Sp. Plant. 464. Houfeleek with hairy- 
edged leaves , and fpreading offsets. Sedum majus vul- 
gare. C. B. P. 283. Common large Houfeleek. 
2. Sempervivum ( Globiferum ) foliis ciliatis, propagi- 
nibus globofis. Lin, Sp. Plant, 464, Houfeleek with 
S E M 
hairy-edged leaves , whofe offsets are globular. Sedum 
majus vulgari fimile, globulis decidentibus. Mor. 
Hift. 3. p. 472, Greater Houfeleek refembling the .com- 
mon, and having globular offsets which fall off. 
3. Sempervivum (Montanum) foliis ciliatis, propagini- 
bus patulis. Lin. Sp. Plant, 665. Houfeleek with hairy 
edges and fpreading offsets. Sedum montanum majus 
foliis non dentatis, floribus rubentibus. C.B.P. 283, 
Greater Mountain Houfeleek whofe leaves are not indented , , 
and having red flowers. 
4. Sempervivum (. Arachnoideum ) foliis pilis intertextis, 
propaginibus globofis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 465. Houfeleek 
with threads from leaf to leaf , and globular offsets . 
Sedum montanum tomentofum. C.B.P. 284. Wool- 
ly Mountain Houfeleek , commonly called Cobweb Sedum.. 
5. Sempervivum ( Arbor eum ) caule arborefcente laevi 
ramofo. Lin. Sp. Plant. 464. Houfeleek with a fmooth , 
tree-like , branching ftalk. Sedum majus arborefcens. 
J. B. 3. 686. Greater 'Tree Houfeleek. 
6 . Sempervivum ( Canarienfe ) caule foliorum ruderibus 
lacero, foliis retufls. Lin. Sp. Plant. 464. Houfeleek 
with ftalks torn by the rudim flits of the leaves , and blunt- 
pointed leaves. Sedum Canarinum, foliis omnium 
maximis. Hort. Amft. 1. p. 189. Canary Houfeleek 
with the largeft leaves. 
7. Sempervivum (Africanum). foliorum marginibus fer- 
rato-dentatis, propaginibus patulis. Houfeleek with 
leaves whofe borders are indented like a faw , and fpread- 
ing offsets. Sedum Afrum montanum, foliis fubro- 
tundis, dentibus albis ferratis confertim natis. Boerh. 
Ind. alt. 1. p. 286. African Mountain Houfeleek, with 
roundiflo, indented, fawed leaves , having white edges. 
The firft fort is our common Houfeleek, which is 
feen in every part of England growing on the tops 
of houfes and walls, but is not a native of this coun- 
try ; it has many thick fucculent leaves fet together 
in a round form •, they are convex on their outflde 
and plain within, fharp-pointed, and their borders 
are fet with fhort fine hairs. The leaves fpread open, 
and lie clofe to the earth in which they grow, fend- 
ing out on every fide offsets of the fame form. From 
the center of thefe heads arifes the flower-ftalk which 
is about a foot high, fucculent and round, of a red- 
dilh colour, and is garnilhed at bottom with a few 
narrow leaves •, the upper part of the ftalk divides 
into two or three parts, eacji fuftaining a fpike or 
range of flowers which are reflexed. The flowers are 
compofed of feveral petals which fpread open, and 
end in acute points ’, they are red, and in the center 
is fituated the crown or germen which are placed cir- 
cularly, and, after the petals are fallen off, theyfweli 
and become fo many horned capfules filled with fmall 
feeds. It flowers in J uly, and the feeds ripen in au- 
tumn. 
This plant is eafily propagated by offsets, which th$ 
plants put out in plenty on every fide. If thefe are 
planted in mud or ftrong earth placed on a building 
or old wall, they will thrive without farther care. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in the northern 
parts of Europe. The leaves of this fort are much 
narrower, and the heads are furnifhed with a greater 
number of leaves than thofe of the former, which 
grow more compact, and are clofely fet on their 
edges with hairs. The offsets of this are globular, 
their leaves turning inward at the top, and lie clofe 
over each other •, thefe are thrown off from between 
the larger heads, and falling on the ground take root, 
whereby it propagates very faff. The flower-ftalks of 
this are fmaller, and do not rife fo high as thofe of 
the former, and the flowers are of a paler colour. 
The third fort grows naturally upon the Helvetian 
mountains ; this greatly refembles the firft, but the 
leaves are fmaller and have no indentures on their 
edges the offsets of this fort fpread out from the 
fide of the older heads, and their leaves are more open 
and expanded. Out of the center of the crown comes 
forth the flower-ftalk, which riles nine or ten inches 
high, garnilhed below with fome narrow leaves j the 
upper part is divided into three or four branches, 
which are clofely furnilhed with deep red flowers, com- 
• pofed 
