This genus of plants is ranged in the fir ft feclion of | 
Linnseus’s fifth ciafs, which includes thofe plants 
whole flowers have five ftamina and one ftyle. 
We know but one Species of this genus in the 
Engfifh gardens, viz. 
Tr a chel i u A ( Garuflwm. ) Hort. Upfal. 41. Throatwo'rt. 
Tracheliuni azurdum urn be Hirer urn. Pon. Bal. 44. 
Blue Mountain Throatwort. 
This plant grows naturally in fhady woods in many 
parts of Italy. It has a perennial root which is flefhy 
and tuberous, fending out many fibres which fpread 
wide on every fide. The leaves are oval, ipear- 
fhaped, about two inches long, and one broad in the 
middle, fawed on their edges, and ending in acute 
points. The Italics rife a loot and a hair high, and 
are garnifhed with leaves lhaped like thofe at the 
bottom, but come out irregularly. Sometimes there 
are two pretty large leaves, and one or two Imaller 
rifing from the lame point •, at others, one large and 
three finaller at the fame joint thefe come out alter- 
nate, and the upper part of the ftalk, immediately un- 
der the. umbel, is naked of leaves, except two or three 
narrow ones, which are clofe to the foot-ftalks of the 
flowers ; thefe are difpofed inform of an umbel com- 
poied of many fmall ones. The flowers are finall, 
runnel-fhaped, and of an azure blue colour •, thefe ap- 
pear in June and July, and are fucceeded by roundifh 
capfules, with three cells filled with fmall feeds, which 
ripen in September. 
This plant is propagated by feeds, which fhould be 
fown in autumn when they are ripe, for when they are 
kept out of the ground till fpring, they frequently 
fail, or if they do grow, it is not before the following 
fpring. When the plants come up, they fhould be 
kept clean from weeds, and as foon as they are big 
enough to remove, they fhould be tranfplanted on an 
craft- afpe&ed border of light undunged earth, placing 
them in rows fix inches apart, and four inches diftant 
in the rows, (hading them from the fun till they have 
taken new root ; after which they require no other care 
but to keep them clean from weeds till autumn, 
when they may be tranfplanted into the borders of the 
flower-garden, where they will flower the following 
fummer. 
But as thefe plants will thrive better on old walls, 
when by accident they have arifen from feeds, fo their 
feeds, when ripe, may be fcattered on fuch walls as 
are old, or where there is earth lodged fufficient to re- 
ceive the feeds j where the plants will come up and refill 
the cold much better, and continue longer than when 
fown in the full ground ; and when a few of the plants 
are eftablifbed on the walls, they will fired their feeds, 
lb that they will maintain themfelves without any far- 
ther care. I have obferved fome plants of this kind, 
which have grown from the joints of a wall, whele 
there has not been the leaft earth to lupport them, 
which have refilled the cold, though they have been 
greatly expofed to the winds, when moll of thofe in 
the full ground were killed ; fo that thefe plants are 
very proper to cover the walls of ruins, where they 
will have a very good effefl. 
TRADESCANTI A. Lin. Gen. Plant. 398. Ephe- 
meron. Tourn. Inti. 193. Flower of a Day, or Vir- 
ginia Spider. wort. 
The Characters are. 
The empalement is compofed of three oval concave leaves 
which are permanent. The flower has three orbicular , 
large , fpreading petals , which are equal , and fix fender 
hairy ftamina which ft and eredl , and are the length of the 
empalement , terminated by kidney \-fh aped fummits , with an 
oval ger men fupporting a fender three-cornered ftyle , crown- 
ed by a three-cornered obtufte Jligma. The empalement co- 
vers an oval capfuls with three cells , filled zvith angular 
feeds. 
This genus of plants is placed in the firft feflion of 
Linnaeus's fixth ciafs, which contains thofe plants 
whole flowers have fix ftamina and one ftyle. 
We have but one Species of this plant in England, 
though there are two other fpecies, qne of which 
grows on the coaft of Malabar, the other in the Arrisk 
ncan iflands. 
Tradescantia ( 'Virginiana ) eredla kevis, floribus con- 
geals. Lin. Sp. 411. Virginia Spiderwort with erebt 
fmooth ftalks , and flowers clbfely connected at the top. 
This plant grows naturally in Virginia, and moft other 
parts of North America ; it hath roots compofed of 
many flefhy fibres ; the ftalks are fmooth, rifing a 
foot and a half high, garnifhed by long, fmooth, keel- 
lhaped leaves, which embrace the ftalks ; the flowers 
are produced in cluflersat the top of the ftalks 5 thefe 
are compofed of three pretty large fpreading petals of 
a purple colour; they appear early in June, and there 
is a fuccefiion of flowers moft part of lummer,- though 
each flower continues but one day, from whence it 
had the title of Ephemeron. 
There are two other varieties of this fpecies, one with 
a deep blue, and the other a white flower; but as 
thefe vary from one to another when raifed from feeds, 
fo they fhould not be feparated. 
Thefe plants multiply fo fall by their roots, and alfo 
from the feeds if permitted to fall, that they fhould be 
yearly reduced to keep them within bounds. The bell: 
time to remove and part the roots is in the autumn. 
TRAGACANTHA. Tourn. Xnft. R. H. 41 7. tab. 
234. Aftragalus. Lin. Gem Plant. 799. [T gaydxawQx, 
of a goat, and a thorn.] Goats- 
thorn. 
The Characters are, 
The empalement of the flower is of one leaf, indented in 
five parts , the lower fegments being the fhorteft. The 
flower is of the butterfly kind ; the ftandard is long , erebl , 
indented at the point , and the borders are reflexed. The 
wings are floor ter than the ftandard. The keel is of the 
fame length with the wings , and is indented ; it has ten 
ftamina , nine are joined and one is feparated , terminated 
by roundifh fummits , and a fhort taper germen fupporting 
an awl-floaped ftyle , crowned by an obtufte Jligma. The 
germen afterward becomes a floort [welling pod , having two 
longitudinal cells , inclofing kidney-fhaped J'eeds. 
This genus of plants Dr. Linnaeus has joined to the 
Aftragalus, which is placed in the third fe&ion of 
his feventeenth ciafs, which contains thofe plants 
whole flowers have ten ftamina joined in two bodies. 
The Species are, 
1. Tragacantha ( Majflienfts ) petiolis longbribus 
fpinefcentibus, foliolis ovatis obtufis. Goats-thorn with 
longer foot-ftalks ending in J fines , and having oval ob- 
tufe. lobes to the leaves. Tragacantha. C. B. P. 388. 
Goats-thorn. 
2. Tragacantha ( Hifpanica ) foliolis lanceolatis, flori- 
bus folirariis axillaribus, fliiculis ovatis infiatis. Goats- 
thorn with fpear-fhaped lobes , flowers proceeding fingly 
from the fides of the branches , and oval , inflated , bladder 
pods. Tragacantha humilis Balearica, foliis paivis 
vix incanis, flore albo. Salvador. Lozv Goats-thorn of 
the Balearick Iflands , having fmall leaves which are 
flcarce hoary , and a white flower. 
3. Tragacantha ( Argentea ) foliolis lanceolatis acumi- 
natis tomentofis, floribus alaribus terminalibufque. 
Goats-thorn with fpear-fhaped , acute-pointed , woolly leaves , 
and flowers growing on the fides and at the ends of the 
branches. Tragacantha orientalis humillima argentea 
barbae Jovis folio. Tourn. Cor. 29. The low eft^e after n 
Goats-thorn , with filvery leaves like thofe of Jupiter's 
Beard . 
4. Tragacantha ( Glabra ) foliolis linearibus glabris, 
floribus congeftis axillaribus. Goats-thorn zvith very 
narrow fmooth leaves , and flowers growing in clufters on 
the fides of the branches. Tragacantha foliis minimis- 
viridibus. Boerh. Ind. ■alt. 2. p. 53. Goats-thorn zvith 
the leaft very green leaves. 
The firft fort grows naturally on the fea-ihore about 
Marfeilles, and in Italy-, this hath a thick, fhort, lig- 
neous ftalk, which branches out greatly on every fide. 
The young branches are woolly ; they are clofely gar- 
nifhed with winged leaves, whofe foot-ftalks end in 
acute thorns. The lobes are fmall, oval, obtufe, and 
of a filvery colour. The flowers are large, white, 
13 I W and 
