I 
which We 'reflexed ; the chaps are armed with five awl- 
fhaped rays which dre connected in a cone ; it has five 
aWUJhaped ftamina which are alternate with the rays 
of the chaps , terminated hy eredl acute fummits , and four 
germen fupporting a fender fiyle the length of the petal , 
crowned hy a fmgle Jligma. The germen afterward turn 
to four gibbous acute-pointed feeds which ripen in the em- 
palement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft: fe&ion of 
Linnffius’s fifth clafs, which contains thofe plants 
whole flowers have five ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are* 
1. Symphytum ( Officinale ) foliis ovato-lanceolatis de- 
currentibus. Hort. Cliff. 47. Comfrey with oval, fpear- 
Jhaped, running leaves , Symphytum Confolida major, 
flore purpureo quas mas. C. B. P. 259. Comfrey , or 
greater Confound, with a purple flower. 
2. Symphytum ( Tuherofum ) foliis fummis oppofitis. 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 136. Comfrey with the upper leaves 
placed oppofite. Symphytum majus tuberofa radice. 
C. B. P. 259. Greater Comfrey with a tuberous root. 
3. Symphytum [Orient ale) foliis ovatis fubpetiolatis. 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 136. Comfrey with oval leaves and 
Jhort foot-falks. Symphytum Orientales, folio fub- 
rotundo afpero, flore cseruleo. Tourn. Cor. 7. Eafern 
Comfrey with a roundifh leaf, and a blue flower. 
There are a few other fpecies of this genus, but thofe 
which are here enumerated, are all the forts at prefent 
to be found in the Englifli gardens* 
The firft fort grows naturally in England, but the 
moft common here is that with a whitilh yellow flow- 
er, which is found growing by the fide of ditches and 
other moift places in great plenty, but that with pur- 
ple flowers is the moft common in Holland and Ger- 
many ; thefe are fuppofed to be only accidental vari- 
eties, which differ in the colour of their flowers ; how- 
ever, this difference is permanent in the plants railed 
from feeds, as I have many times found ■, nor are the 
two kinds ever found mixed where they grow wild, 
for in thofe places where the blue is found, the white 
is never feen, and vice verfa ; but as there are no 
fpecific differences between them, I fhall not feparate 
them. 
The common Comfrey has thick roots compofed of 
many flefhy fibres or fangs, which run deep in the 
ground ; they are black on the outfide, but white 
within, full of a (limy tenacious juice. The lower 
leaves are large, long, {harp-pointed, hairy and rough. 
The ftalks rife two feet high, which are garnilhed 
with oval fpear-fhaped leaves about five inches long, 
and two broad near their bafe, ending in acute points ; 
they are hairy, rough, and from their bafe runs a leafy 
border along the ftalk. From the upper part of the 
ftalk are fent out fome fide branches, which are com- 
monly garnifhed with two fmaller leaves, and are ter- 
minated by loofe bunches of flowers which are reflex- 
ed ; each flower has one tubulous petal, whofe upper 
part is bellied and thicker than the lower, and the 
chaps are doled by the ftamina and rays which crofs it, 
and Ihuts up the tube. Thefe in the common Eng- 
lilh fort are of a yellowifti white, and the foreign one 
is of a purple colour. It flowers in June, and the 
feeds ripen in Auguft. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Germany-, the roots 
of this are compofed of many thick flefhy knobs or 
tubers, which are joined by flelhy fibres the ftalks 
incline on one fide they rife a foot and a half high ; 
the leaves on the lower part are fix inches long, and 
two and a half broad in the middle, ending in acute 
points, and are not fo rough and hairy as thofe of 
the other fpecies ; they are placed alternate, and fit 
clofe to the ftalks. The two upper leaves on every 
branch ftand oppofite, and juft above them are loofe 
fpikes or bunches of pale yellow flowers, whofe petals 
are ftretch'ed out farther beyond the empalement than 
thofe of the other. This flowers -at the fame time 
with the other. 
The third fort grows naturally on the fide of rivers 
near Conftantinople ; this hath a perennial root like 
the firft ; the ftalks grow two feet high ; the leaves are 
S Y R 
rounder, and are armed with rough prickly hairs, 
1 he flowers are blue, and grow in bunches like thofe 
of the firft fort ; they appear in March, but are fel- 
dom fucceeded by feeds in England. 
Thefe plants may be cultivated, either by flowing their 
feeds in the fpring, or by parting of their roots : the 
latter way being the more expeditious, is chiefly pric- 
ed where they are planted for ufe. The beft feafon 
for parting the roots is in autumn, at which time ai- 
moft every piece of & root will grow. They fliould be 
planted about two feet and a half afunder, that they 
may have room tofpread, and will require no farther 
care but to keep them clear from weeds; for they are 
extremely hardy, and will grow upon almoft any* foil, 
or in any fituation. 
SYR INGA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 22. Lilac. Taunt 
Inft. R. H. 601. tab. 372. Lilac. 
The Characters are, 
‘The flower has a f 'mall , tubulous , permanent 'empalement 
of one leaf, which is indented in four parts at the brim 
it has one petal, with a long cylindrical tube cut into four 
obtufe fegments at the brim which fpread open, and two 
very floor t fiamina terminated by fmall fummits, funding 
within the tube ; it has an oblong germen fupporting a Jhort 
fender fiyle, crowned by a thick bifid fligma. The germen 
afterward turns to an oblong , compreffed, acute-pointed 
capfule with two cells, opening with two valves contrary 
to the partition, including in each cell one oblong acute- 
pointed feed with a membranaceous border. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedtion of 
Linnasus’s fecond clafs, which contains thofe plants 
whole flowers have two ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Syringa [Vulgaris) foliis ovato-cordatis. Hort. Cliff. 
6. Syringa with oval heart-Jhaped leaves. Syringa cte- 
rulea. C. B. P. 391. Blue Syringa, and the Lilac. Matth. 
1237. The blue Lilac. 
2. Syringa ( Perfca ) foliis lanceolatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
9- Syringa with fpear-fhaped leaves. Lilac folio liguf* 
tri. Tourn. Inft. 602. Lilac with a Privet leaf, common- 
ly called P erf an Jafmine. 
3. Syringa ( Laciniata ) foliis lanceolatis integris diftec- 
tiique laciniata. Hort. Cliff. 6. Syringa with entire 
fpear-fhaped leaves , and others which are cut and jag- 
ged. Lilac laciniato folio. Tourn. Inft. 602. Lilac 
with a cut leaf, commonly called cut-leaved P erf an Jaf- 
mine. 
The firft fort is very common in the Englifh gardens, 
where it has been long cultivated as a flowering fhrub. 
It is fuppofed to grow naturally in fome parts of Per- 
fia, but is fo hardy as to refift the greateft cold of this 
country. There are three varieties of this ihrub, which 
are commonly cultivated in the Englifh gardens, and 
do not only differ in the colour of their flowers, but 
alfo in that of their fhoots and leaves ; one of thefe 
has white flowers, one blue, and the third has pur- 
ple flowers ; the latter is commonly known by the 
title of Scotch Lilac, to diftinguifh it from the other. 
This is the moft beautiful of the three, and is pro- 
bably called the Scotch Lilac, becaufe it was firft 
mentioned in the catalogue of the Edinburgh Garden. 
Whether this was raifed from feeds, or which other 
way it was obtained I could never learn but I take it 
to be a diftinft fpecies from the others, though there 
is not marks enough upon them to diftinguifh their 
fpecific differences ; becaufe I have raifed many of 
the plants from feeds, which have always retained 
their difference, as have alfo the white, when they 
were propagated by feeds; fo that they may be rather 
efteemed as diftinft forts, although by the rules now 
admitted for determining fpecific differences, they 
may not have fufficient marks whereby to diftinguifh 
them-, and as they have been by many of the modem 
botanifts joined together, I fhall not feparate them 
again, but fhall mention the particulars in which they 
differ. 
This fhrub grows to the height of eighteen or twenty 
feet in good ground, and divides into many branches ; 
thofe of the white fort grow more ered than the other, 
and the purple or Scotch Lilac has its branches yet 
mors 
