SYR 
more diffufed. The branches of the white are cover- 
ed with a fmooth bark of a gray colour, thofe of the 
other two are darker. The leaves of the white are 
of a bright green •, their fhape and fize are fo near as 
not to be diftinguilhed thereby. They are heart- 
(haped, almoft five inches long, and three and a half 
broad near their bafe •, their foot-ftalks are an inch 
and a half long, and are placed oppofite. The buds 
of the future fhoots, which are very turgid before the 
leaves fall, are of a very bright green in the white 
fort, but thofe of the other two are of a dark green. 
The fiowers are always produced at the ends of the 
(hoots of the former year, and below the flowers 
come out fhoots to fucceed them ; for that part up- 
on which the flowers ftand, decays down to the 
(hoots below every winter. There are generally two 
bunches or panicles of flowers joined at the end of 
each (hoot ; thofe of the blue are the fmalleft, and 
the flowers are fmaller, their brims expanded, and 
are placed thinner than either of the other. The 
bunches on the white are larger ; the flowers are clofer 
placed, and larger than the blue ; but thofe of the 
Scotch are larger, and the flowers are fairer than thofe 
of either of the other, fo make a much finer appear- 
ance. The panicles of flowers grow erect, and be- 
ing intermixed with the fine green leaves, have a fine 
effect : and if we add to this the fragrancy of their 
flowers, it may be ranged among the moll beautiful 
(hrubs which now decorate the Englifh gardens. They 
flower in May, and when the feafon is cool, thefe 
(hrubs will continue three weeks in beauty, but in hot 
feafons the flowers loon fade. Their feeds are ripe 
in September, which if fown foon after, the plants 
will come up the following fpring •, but as their roots 
fend out great plenty of fuckers annually, fo few per- 
(bns ever take the trouble to propagate thefe plants 
by feeds. I have raifed feveral plants of the three 
forts from feeds, and conftantly found them prove the 
fame as the fhrubs from which the feeds were taken. 
Thefe plants do generally flower the third year from 
feed, and I have always found thefe plants not fo apt 
to fend out fuckers, as thofe which were produced by 
fuckers, fo are much more valuable ; for the others 
put out fuch plenty of fuckers, as that if they are not 
annually taken from the plants they will flarve them, 
fo that in this way the plants may be propagated in 
great plenty. 
Thefe plants thrive beft upon a light rich foil, fuch 
as the gardens near London are for the mod part com- 
pofed of ; and there they grow to a much larger fize, 
where they are permitted to ftand unremoved, than in 
any other part of England, for in ftrong loam, or upon 
chalky land, they make no progrefs. If the fuckers 
are (mail when they are taken from the old plants, 
they (hould be planted in a nurfery, in rows three feet 
afunder, and one foot diftance in the rows, where they 
may ftand a year or two to get ftrength, and then 
SYR 
they ftiould be removed to the places where they arc 
to remain. The belt time to tranfplant thefe (hrubs 
is in autumn. 
There is a variety or two of thefe fhrubs with blotch- 
ed leaves, which fome perfons are fond of ; but as 
thefe variegations are the effed: of weaknefs, fo when- 
ever the fhrubs become, healthy their verdure returns 
again. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Perfia, but has 
been long cultivated in the Englifh gardens, where it 
is beft known among the gardeners by the title of 
Perflan Jafmine, This is a fhrub of much lower 
growth than the former, feldom riling more than five 
or fix feet high. The (talks -of this fhrub are woody, 
covered with a fmooth brown bark; the branches are 
(lender, pliable, and extend wide on every fide •, thefe 
frequently bend downward where they are not fup- 
ported ; they are garniflied with narrow fpear-jfhaped 
leaves placed oppofite, which are about two inches 
and a half long, and three fourths of an inch broad, 
of a deep green colour, ending in acute points. The 
flowers are produced in large panicles at the end of the 
former year’s fhoots, in like manner as the former ; 
they are of a pale purple colour, and have a very- 
agreeable odour. Thefe appear the latter end of May, 
foon after thofe of the common fort, and continue 
longer in beauty, but thefe do not perfeft their feeds 
in England. 
There is a variety of this with almoft white fiowers, 
which has of late years been obtained, but whether it 
came from feeds, or w-as accidentally produced from 
fuckers from the purple kind, I cannot fay. 
The third fort differs from the fecond in having two 
forts of leaves, thofe on the lower part of the branches 
are for the moft part entire ; thefe are broader and 
(horter than thofe of the fecond, and do not end in fuch 
(harp points. The leaves on the younger branches 
are cut into three or five fegments like winged leaves, 
almoft to the midrib. The branches of this fort are 
(lenderer and weaker than thofe of the fecond ; their 
bark is of a darker brown, and the flowers of a brighter 
purple colour. 
This was brought into Europe before the other, and 
came by the Perflan title Agem. Both thefe forts are 
ufually propagated by fuckers, which their roots 
fend out in great plenty ; thefe (hould be carefully 
taken off from the old plant in the autumn, and 
planted in a nurfery in the fame manner as is before 
directed for the firft, where they may grow two years 
to get ftrength, and may then be tranfplanted to the 
places where they are defigned to remain. The plants 
which are fo propagated, are always very prolific in 
fuckers, for which reafon it will be a better way to 
raife them by laying down their young branches, 
which in one year will be fufficiently rooted to tranf- 
plant, and may then be treated in the fame way as the 
fuckers. 
TAB 
T ABERNJEMONTANA. Plum. Gen. 
Nov. 1 8. tab. 30. Lin. Gen. Plant. 265. 
The Characters are. 
The flower has a fmall empalement cut into Jive 
acute parts it hath one funnel-Jhaped petal , with a long 
cylindrical tube , which is bellied at both ends , and the 
brim is cut into Jive oblique fegments ; it has flve 
TAB 
fiamhM' in the middle of the tube , terminated by fmtnits 
which join together , and one germen fupporting an., awl- 
JhapedJlyle , crowned by decayed Jiigmas. 'The germen af- 
terward turn to two bellied cap Jules which are horizon- 
tally reflexed, opening with one valve , having one cell, fill- 
ed with oblong oval feeds lying imbricatim, and f unrounded 
with pulp. 
This 
