T R I 
which way he fent feveral large parcels of feeds from 
Carolina to England, which never mifcarried. There 
are fome perfons who have directed to put them in- 
to glaffes, and to feal them clofely down, to keep 
out the external air •, but from feveral experiments 
of this kind which 1 have made, I rind feeds thus 
clofely put up will not grow, if they remain Hopped 
up any confiderable time, all feeds ' requiring fome 
lhare of air to preserve their vegetating quality ; fo 
that where a perfon has no other conveniency, they 
may be put up in a bag, and hung up in a dry part 
of the fhip, or put into a trunk, where they may be 
fafe from vermin, in which places they will keep 
very wejk 
N. B. It is the fafeft way to bring all forts of feeds 
in their pods or hufks in which they grew, provided 
they are put up dry ; becaufe their own covering will 
afford them fome nourifhment, if the feeds are not 
feparated from the placenta. 
TRI ANTHEMA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 537. Portula- 
caftrum. Juffi^i 1. 
The Characters are. 
It hath an empakment compofed of two fmall awl-Jhaped 
leaves \ the flower has five oval petals which fpread open , 
and commonly five ftamina which are floor ter than the co- 
rolla, terminated by oval twin fummits , and a cylindrical 
germen whofe upper part is truncated , having two horns , 
fupporting a Jlender flinging ftyle , with a JiJJure which runs 
through the twin fummits , crowned by a fingle ftigtha. 
The empalement afterward becomes a two-cornered cylin- 
drical capfule with one cell , inclofing eight or ten feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion of 
Linnaeus’s fifth clals, which includes thofe plants 
whofe flowers have five ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Tri anthem a ( Procumbens ) foliis obovatis petiolatis, 
fioribus feffilibus caulibus procumbentibus. Ad. Phil. 
1763. Trianthema with procumbent ftalks , aim oft oval 
leaves on foot ftalks, and flowers fitting clofe to the ftalks. 
Portulaca Curaflavica procumbens, capparidis folio, 
flore mufcofo, capfula bifurca. Par. Bat. 213. Purflain 
from Curajfao , with trailing ftalks , a Caper leaf and a 
two-horned capfule. 
2. Trianthema ( Diffufa ) foliis ovatis petiolatis, flori- 
bus confertis axillaribus feffilibus, caule diffufo. Ad. 
Phil. 1763. Trianthema with diffufed ftalks, oval leaves, 
and the flowers in cluflers fitting clofe at the wings of the 
ftalks. 
The firft fort grows naturally in mod of the iflands 
in the Weft-Indies, where it is often a troublefome 
weed ; this fends out many trailing branches which 
lie fiat on - the ground, fpreading two feet or more 
each way; thefe have much the appearance of Purf- 
lain, and have fleffiy fucculent leaves almoft oval : 
the flowers come out from the joints of the ftalks ; 
they are lomewhat of a purple colour, not much un- 
like thofe of Purflain, and are fucceeded by capfules 
having two horns, with one cell inclofing eight or ten 
feeds. 
The fecond fort grows in the Eaft-Indies : this rifes 
with fucculent diffufed ftalks near two feet high, 
garnifhed with oval leaves lefs fucculent than thofe of 
the firft. The flowers are white, and are produced 
in cluflers fitting dole to the ftalks, and are fucceed- 
ed by capfules containing feveral feeds. 
Thefe plants are both annual in this country, and are 
feldom preferved except in botanic gardens for varie- 
ty. Whoever has a mind to cultivate them, mu ft 
fow their feeds on a good hot-bed in the fpring, and 
when the plants are fit to remove, they ffiould be 
planted on another hot-bed to bring them forward, 
otherwife they will not ripen their feeds. In June 
they may be tranfplanted into a warm border, where 
they will grow until the froft in autumn kills them. 
TRIBULUS. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 265. tab. 141. 
Lin. Gen. Plant. 476. Caltrops. 
The Characters are, 
The^ empalement of the flower is cut into five acute parts, 
whi h an e a, little fhorter than the 'petals ; there are five 
oblong blunt petals to the flower which fpread open, and 
ten fmall awl-jhaped ftamina terminated by Jingle fummits, 
and an oblong germen the length of the ftamina , having no 
ftyle, but crowned by a he aided ftigma. The germen af- 
terward turns to a roundijh prickly fruit , divided into fivi 
capfules, armed with three or four thorns , angular on one 
fide, joining together. The cells are tranfverfe , and con- 
tain two or three Pear-ftoaped feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion of 
Linnaeus’s tenth clafs, which includes thofe plants 
which have ten ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Tribulus ( Terreftris ) foliolis fexjugatis fubaequali- 
bus, feminibus quadricornibus. Hort. Cliff. 160. Cal- 
trops with fix pair of lobes to each leaf , which are almoft 
equal, and four horns to each feed. Tribulus terrreftis^ 
folio ciceris, fru&u aculeato. C.B.P. 250. Land Cal- 
trops with a Chich leaf, and a prickly fruit. 
2. Tribulus {Maximus) foliolis quadrijugis exterioribus 
majoribus. Lin. Sp. Plant. 386. Caltrops with four pair 
of lobes to each leaf, of which the outer are the largeft. 
Tribulis terreftris major, flore maximo odorato. 
Sloan. Cat. Jam. 93. Greater Caltrops with the largeft 
fweet flower. 
3. Tribulus ( Ciftoides ) foliolis odojugatis fubsequalibusi 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 387. Caltrops with eight pair of lobes to 
each leaf , which are almoft equal. Tribulus terreftris 
major Curaffavicus. Par. Bat. 236. Greater Land Cal- 
trops of Curajfao. 
The firft fort is a very common weed in the fouthof 
France, in Spain, and Italy, where it grows among 
Corn, and on moft of the arable land, and is very 
troublefome to the feet of cattle ; for the fruit being- 
armed with ftrong prickles, run into the feet of the 
cattle which walk over the land. This is certainly 
the plant which is mentioned in Virgil’s Georgicks, 
under the title of Tribulus, though moft of his com- 
mentators have applied it to other plants. 
It is called in Englifh Caltrops, from the form of 
the fruit, which refembles thofe inftruments of war 
that were caft in the enemies way to annoy their 
horfes. 
This hath a {lender fibrous root, from which fpring 
out four or five {lender ftalks which fpread flat on the 
ground ; they are hairy, and extend^ two feet and a 
half in length ; thefe are garnifhed at each joint with 
winged leaves, compofed of fix pair of narrow hairy 
lobes, almoft of equal fize ; thofe on the lower part 
of the ftalk Hand alternately, but toward the top 
they are placed oppofite. The flowers come out from 
the wings of the ftalk, Handing upon fhort'foot- 
ftalks ; they are compofed of five broad, obtufe, yel- 
low petals, which fpread open. In the center is IT 
tuated an oblong germen, crowned by a headed ftis- 
ma, attended by ten ffiort ftamina, .terminated by An- 
gle fummits. The flowers appear in June and July, 
which are fucceeded by roundifh, five-cornered, prickly 
fruit, which, when ripe, divides into five parts, each 
having a tranfverfe cell containing one or two feeds, 
which ripen in Auguft and September. 
This plant is preferved in feveral curious gardens irt 
England, for the fake of variety. It is propagated 
by feeds, which ffiould be fown in autumn, for thofe 
which are kept out of the ground till fpring, com- 
monly remain in the ground a whole year before the 
plants come up. Thefe feeds fhould be fown on an 
open bed of frefh light earth, where they are defign- 
ed to remain ; for, as it is an annual plant, it doth 
not bear tranfplanting very well, unlefs it be done 
when the plants are very young. In the fpring, when 
the plants come up, they ffiould be carefully < cleared 
from weeds, and where they corne up too clofe, fome 
of the plants ffiould be pulled out to give room for 
the remaining plants to grow ; after this they will 
require no other culture but to keep them clear from 
weeds. In June they will begin to flower, and their 
feeds will ripen in Auguft and September, which, if 
permitted to fcatter, the plants will come up the fol- 
lowing fpring, and maintain their place, if they are 
not overborne with weeds. 
13 K 
The 
