inoft any foil or fituation, provided it be not too hot 
and dry ; but moft of them creep fo much under 
ground, as to become very troublefome in a garden, 
for which reafon there are but few of the forts ad- 
mitted into gardens. The third, fifth, and fixth forts 
are frequently cultivated in the gardens. The roots 
of thefe do not creep like the others, and their flowers 
have fome beauty to recommend them, but the others 
are only kept in botanic gardens for the fake t>f vari- 
ety ; therefore when they are admitted, their roots 
ihould be confined in pots, ©therwife they cannot be 
kept within bounds. 
T H A P S I A. Pourn. Inft. R. H. 321. tab. 1 71. Lin. 
Gen. Plant. 323. [fo called of the inland of Thapfus, 
where it grew in plenty.] The deadly Carrot, or 
.fcorching Fennel. 
The Characters are, 
It has an umbellated flower •, the general umbel is large , 
and compofed of about twenty rays which are nearly equal \ 
thefe have no involucri •, the general umbel is uniform, 
fhe flowers have five Jpear-Jhaped incurved petals , and 
five hair-like fiamina the length of the petals , terminated 
by Jingle fummits. It has an oblong germen fituated under 
the flower , fupporting two fhort ftyles crowned by obtufe 
fiigmas. The germen afterward becomes an oblong fruit , 
girt with a longitudinal membrane dividing into two parts , 
each containing one oblong feed , pointed at both ends , hav- 
ing plain borders on both Jides. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fe&ion 
of Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, which contains thofe plants 
whofe flowers have five fiamina and two ftyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Thapsia ( Villofa ) foliolis dentatis villofis bafi coadu- 
natis. Llort. Cliff. 105. Scorching Carrot with in- 
dented hairy lobes , which are joined at their bafe. Thap- 
fia latifolia villofa. C. B. P. 148. Broad-leaved , hairy , 
fcorching Fennel. 
2. Thapsia {Maxima) foliis pinnatis, foliolis latiffimis 
pinnatifidis fubtus villofis petiolis decurrentibus. 
Scorching Carrot with winged leaves , having very broad 
wing-pointed lobes , which are hairy on their under fide , 
and running foot -ft alks. Thapfia maxima, latifiimo fo- 
lio. C.B. P. 148. The great eft fcorching Fennel with a 
very broad leaf. 
3. Thapsia ( Fcetida ) foliolis multifidis bafi anguftatis. 
Hort. Clift'. 105. Scorching Carrot with many-pointed 
lobes , which are narrowed at their bafe. Thapfia Ca- 
rotse folio. I. B. 3. p. 187. Scorching Fennel with a 
Carrot leaf. 
4. Thapsia ( Apulia ) foliis digitatis, foliolis bipinnatis 
multifidis fetaceis. Hort. Cliff. 106. Scorching Carrot 
o 
with many-pointed , hand-fhaped , briftly lobes. Thapfia 
tenuiore folio Apulia. Tourn. Inft. 322. Narrow- 
leaved fcorching Fennel of Apulia. 
5. Thapsia ( Trifoliata ) foliis ternatis ovatis. Lin. Sp. 
Plant. 262. Scorching Carrot with oval trifoliate leaves. 
Sium folio infimo cordato, caulinis ternatis, omnibus 
crenatis. Flor. Virg. 31. Water Par fnep with heart- 
fhaped leaves , thofe on the ftalks trifoliate , and all of 
them crenated. 
6 . Thapsia ( Altifjima ) foliis decompofitis, lobis maxi- 
mis lucidis, umbella maxima. The tall eft fcorching Car- 
rot with decompounded leaves , having very large lucid 
lobes , and great umbels. Thapfia montana, omnium 
maxima, foliis lobatis. Hort. Pif. 164. The largeft 
mountain fcorching Carrot with broad lobes. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Spain, Portugal, and 
the fouth of France •, this hath a thick flefhy root in 
flhape of a Carrot, which has an outward blackifh fkin ; 
the infide is white, bitter, and very acrid, with a little 
aromatic tafte. The leaves are winged ; the lobes are 
thick, hairy, and indented ; they are regularly cut 
into oppofite fegments like other winged leaves. The 
ftalk is fpungy, and riles about two feet high, di- 
viding upward into two or three fmall branches, each 
being terminated by a large umbel of yellow flowers. 
Thefe appear in June, and are fucceeded by large, 
flat, bordered feeds which ripen in Auguft. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Spain, and all over 
Old Caftile, quite to the Pyrenean mountains. The 
root of this fort is large, thick, and of a dark colour 
without. The leaves are very thick, and Hairy on 
their under fide ; they fpread circularly on the ground, 
and are'divided into broad hairy lobes. The ftalks 
rife four or five feet high ; they are large, jointed, and 
full of pith, having one leaf at each joint, lhaped like 
thofe at the bottom, but are fmaller as they are nearer 
the top. The ftalk is terminated by a large umbel 
of yellow flowers which appear the latter end of June, 
and the feeds ripen about two months after. 
The third fort grows naturally in Italy and Spain. The 
leaves of this fort are cut into many narrow fegments, 
almoft as fmall as thofe of the garden Carrot, but are 
rough and hairy ; their fegments are always oppofite, 
and are narrower at their bafe than their points. The 
ftalks rife about two feet high, and are terminated by 
umbels of fmall yellow flowers which appear in July ; 
thefe are fucceeded by flat bordered feeds which ripen 
the beginning of September. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in Apulia. The root 
of this is about the thicknefs of a man’s thumb *, the 
bark is yellow and wrinkled, the infide white, and 
abounds with an acrid milky juice ; the leaves are 
finely divided like thofe of Fennel, they are hairy, 
and fit clofe to the root. The ftalk rifes from two to 
three feet high ; it is naked, and branches into two or 
three ftalks, each being terminated by a fmall umbel 
of flowers, which arS large, yellow, and appear in 
July: thefe are fucceeded by fiat feeds, having carti- 
laginous borders, which ripen in September. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in North America. 
The feeds were fent me by Dr. Benfel from Philadel- 
phia. This hath a {lender tap root, which is ftiaped 
like thofe of Parfley ^ the leaves at the bottom are 
heart-fhaped. The ftalk is Angle and does not branch *, 
it rifes near two feet high, is of a purple colour, and 
{lender ; this is garnifhed at each joint with one tri- 
foliate leaf, whofe lobes are oval and crenated. The 
ftalk is terminated by a fmall umbel of purple flowers 
which appear in July, and are fucceeded by comprefi- 
ed channelled feeds which ripen in September. Dr. 
Gronovius thinks this plant very like that which is fi- 
gured by Kempfer, by the title of Nindzi. 
The fixth fort grows naturally in Apulia : this hath a 
large taper root ; the leaves fpread circularly near the 
ground •, thefe are divided into feveral lobes, which, 
are divided into many very large lucid lobes, Handing 
alternately on fhort foot-ftalks : the ftalk rifes near 
eight feet high, and is terminated by an umbel of yel- 
low flowers, which appear in July, and are fucceed- 
ed by bordered compreffed feeds which ripen in Sep- 
tember. 
Thefe plants are all of them propagated by feeds, 
which fhould be fown in autumn for if they are kept 
out of the ground till fpring, they often mifcarry, or 
if they grow, they commonly lie a whole year in the 
ground before the plants come up ; whereas thofe 
feeds which are fown in autumn, generally grow the 
following fpring. Thefe fhould be fown in drills, in 
the place where they are defigned to remain. The 
drills fhould be at leaft three feet and a half afunder, 
becaufe the plants fpread their leaves very wide. 
When the plants come up in the fpring, they muft 
be carefully cleared from weeds ; and where they are 
too clofe together, fome of them fhould be drawn 
out to give room for the others to grow, but at this 
time they need not be left more than two or three 
inches apart ; for the firft year when the plants arife 
from feeds, they make but flow progrefs, except the 
fixth fort, which will require more room •, fo the au- 
tumn following the remaining part of the plants may 
be taken up, leaving thofe which are defigned to re- 
main about eighteen inches afunder j and thofe 
plants which are taken up may be tranlplanted into 
another bed, if they are wanted. After the firft year 
thefe plants will require no farther care, but to keep 
them clear from weeds ; and every fpring, juft before 
the plants begin to puff out new leaves, the ground 
fhould be carefully dug between the plants to loofen 
it, but the roots muft not be injured, left it fhould 
caufe 
