ftamina within the tube , which are turned afide , two of 
which are Jhorter than the other , terminated by f mall 
fummiis , and a quadrifid germen ftupporting a f lender 
jlyle the length of the tube , crowned by an obtufe indented 
jligma. c fhe germen afterward turn to four almoji oval 
feeds which ripen in the empalement , to which the follow- 
ing notes muft be added : the flowers are ranged in feveral 
feries , and the fpikes are terminated by tufts of leaves . 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedtion of 
Linnaeus’s fourteenth clais, joining it to Lavendula, 
which contains thofe plants whofe flowers have two 
long: and two fhorter (lamina, and the feeds are naked. 
t> 
The Species are, 
. Stoechas ( Officinarum ) foliis lanceolato-linearibus, 
pedunculis brevioribus. Stoechas with fpear-fhaped li- 
near leaves , and ftoorter foot-ftalks to the flowers. Stoe- 
chas purpurea. C. B. P. 216. Purple Stcechas , or com- 
mon French La,vender. 
. Stoechas ( Pedunculatus ) foliis lanceolato-linearibus, 
pedunculis longifiimis. Stcechas with fpear-fhaped linear 
leaves , and thelongeft foot-ftalks to the flowers. Stoechas 
cauliculis non foliofis. C. B. P. 216. Stcechas with- 
out foot-ftalks and leaves. 
. Stoechas ( Dentatus ) foliis pinnato-dentatis. Stoechas 
with winged indented leaves. Stcechas folio ferrato. 
C. B. P. 216. Stcechas with a ftawed leaf. 
The firft fort grows naturally in the fouth of France 
and Spain, from whence the tops or heads of flowers 
are imported to England for medicinal ufe : this has 
a low, thick, fhrubby ftalk, which rifes about two feet, 
high, fending out ligneous branches the whole length, 
which are garnifhed with fpear-fhaped linear leaves 
about an inch long, which are hoary and pointed, of 
a ftrong aromatic feent, and Hand oppoiite on the 
branches at each joint, with fmaller leaves of the 
fame fhape coming out at the fame places. The 
branches are terminated with fcaly fpikes of purple 
flowers about an inch in length •, the fpikes are four- 
cornered •, the feales lie over each other like thofe of 
fifh •, out of each fcale peeps one lip flower, whofe 
tube is the length of the fcale, lb the two lips only 
appear; the under is fpread open, and the upper 
Hands eredt. The fpike of flowers is terminated by a 
(mail tuft of purple leaves likethe Clary of Matthiolus ; 
the flowers appear in May and June, which are fuc- 
ceeded by oval feeds which ripen in Auguft. The whole 
plant has a very ftrong, aromatic, agreeable odour. 
The heads of flowers of this kind are ufed in fome 
of the capital medicines diredled by the College of 
Phyficians, which are commonly brought from the 
fouth of France, where the plants are in great plenty ; 
but, as thefe are feldom imported, and very little care 
taken in the drying and packing them, they are very 
apt to take a mouldinefs in their paffage, and are not 
near fo good for ufe as thofe which are gathered frefli 
in England, where the plants may be cultivated to 
great advantage. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Spain. The dif- 
ference between this and the firft confifts in the foot- 
ftalks, which fuftain the fpikes of flowers, being 
three times the length of thofe of the firft, and naked, 
having no leaves. The fpikes of flowers are longer 
and not fo thick, and they have more coloured leaves 
on their tops, which are longer, and of a brighter 
purple colour. Thefe differences are not accidental, 
for I have many years propagated this plant by feeds, 
and have always found them the fame. The flowers, 
feeds, and other parts are the fame. Of both 
thefe there are fome plants which vary in the colour 
of their flowers, fome producing white, and others 
purplifli flowers, but the moft common colour is blue. 
Thefe plants may be cultivated by fowing their feeds 
upon a bed of light dry foil in March, and when 
they come up, they (hould be carefully cleared from 
weeds until they are two inches high, at which time 
they (hould be removed ; therefore there muft be a 
fpot of light dry ground prepared, and laid level, 
which muft be trodden out in beds, into which the 
plants (hould be planted at about five or fix inches 
diftance each way, obferving to water and (hade them 
until they have taken root, after which they will re* 
quire no further care but to keep them clear from 
weeds the following fummer ; but,- if the winter 
(hould prove fevere, it will be proper to cover them 
v/ith mats, Peas-haulm, or fome other light covering, to 
guard them againft the froit, which otherwife would 
be apt to injure them while they are fo young ; but in 
March, or the beginning of April, the following 
fpring, they muft be removed into the places where 
they are to remain, obferving if poffibie, to tranf- 
plant them in a warm moift ieafon, and not let them 
' remain long above ground, for if their roots are dried 
they feldom grow well after. The ioil in which thefe 
are planted (hould be a dry warm fand or gravel, and 
the poorer the foil is in which they are planted, the 
better they will endure the cold of the winter, pro- 
vided the ground be dry ; though indeed the plants 
will thrive better in fummer upon a rich moift ground, 
but then they will not produce fo many flowers, nor 
will the heads or fpikes have near fo ftrong an aroma- 
tic feent, as is the cafe with moft forts of aromatic 
plants. 
Thefe plants may alfo be propagated by planting 
flips or cuttings of any of the kinds in the fpring, ob- 
ferving to refrefh them with water until they have 
taken root, after which they may be managed as hath 
been directed for the (feed ling plants ; but, as thofe 
plants railed from feeds are much better than thefe, 
it is hardly worth while to propagate them this way, 
efpecially fince their feeds ripen fo well in this country. 
The heads of the firft forts may be gathered for ufe, 
when the flowers are in full perfedlion, and Ipread to 
dry in a fhady place, after which they may be put up 
for ufe. 
The third fort grows naturally in Andalufia in Spain, 
and alfo about Murcia; this has a ligneous ftalk 
which rifes two or three feet high, furnifhed with 
branches on every fide the whole length, which stq 
four-cornered, and garnifhed with leaves placed op- 
poflte by pairs, which are about an inch long, and 
an eighth of an inch broad, indented regularly on both 
fides almoft to the midrib, in form of winged 
leaves ; they are of a grayifh colour, have a pleafant 
aromatic odour, and biting warm tafte. The flowers 
are produced in fcaly fpikes at the end of the branches, 
(landing upon long naked foot-ftalks ; the fpikes are 
four-cornered, hairy, and about an inch long, ter- 
minated by a few purplifli leaves in the like manner 
as the other forts, which inclined me to keep it joined 
to them. It flowers great part of fummer, but the 
feeds very rarely ripen in England. 
As this plant feldom produces feeds in England, it 
is propagated by flips or cuttings, which, if planted 
in April, and treated in the fame way as thofe of the 
two other forts, will take root very freely ; but thefe 
plants, when rooted, muft be planted in pots, that 
they may be flickered from fevere froft in winter, be- 
caufe they are too tender to live in the open air 
through the winter in England, efpecially while they 
are young ; but when they have obtained ftrengtb, 
fome of them may be turned out of the pots, and 
planted in a warm fituation, upon a dry rubbifhy foil, 
where they will be dinted from growing too vigoroufly, 
fo will endure the cold much better than if they were 
growing in better ground. 
ST ONE CROP. See Sedum. 
STONECRO P-T R E E. See Chenopo'dium. 
STOVES are contrivances for the preferving fuch 
tender exotic plants, which will not live in thefe nor- 
thern countries without artificial warmth in winter. 
Thefe are built in different methods, according to 
the ingenuity of the art id, or the different purpofes 
for which they are intended, but in England they are 
at prefent reducible to two or three 
The firft is called a dry Stove, being fo contrived, 
that the flues, through which the (make paffes, are 
either carried under the pavement of the floor, or elfe 
are erected in the back part 01 the noufe, ovei eacn 
other, and are returned fix or eight times the whole 
length of the Stove, according to the height. In 
0 thefe 
