VER 
are of a light green colour, about an inch and a half 
long, and near an inch broad. The flowers are of a 
pale blue colour, collected into oval heads which ftand 
upon long naked foot-ftalks, fpringing from the wings 
of the branches , thefe flower late in autumn, and are 
not fucceeded by feeds in England. 
The fifteenth fort grows naturally at La Vera Cruz, 
from whence the late Dr. Houftoun fent the feeds •, 
this is an annual plant, with a branching ftalk which 
rifes a foot and a half high, garnifhed with pale green 
leaves three inches and a half long, and half an inch 
broad, ending in acute points, and are flightly fawed 
on their edges. The branches are terminated by flelhy 
fpikes of blue flowers which are naked •, thefe appear 
in Auguft, and in warm feafons are fucceeded by feeds 
which ripen in autumn. 
The fixteenth fort grows naturally in Mexico ; this 
hath a fhrubby ftalk which rifes five or fix feet high, 
and divides into feveral branches, which are garnifh- 
ed with oblong fawed leaves which end in acute points ; 
they are two inches long, and one broad near their 
bafe, fitting clofe to the branches ; they are of a light 
green colour on both fides. The branches are ter- 
minated by (lender loofe fpikes of pale flowers which 
are very fmall, whofe empalements afterward become 
fwelied, and almoft globular ; they are reflexed down- 
ward, and are fet with flinging hairs. It flowers late 
in the fummer, and in good years the feeds ripen in 
England. 
The feeds of the feventeenth fort were fent me from 
La Vera Cruz, by the late Dr. Houftoun ; this has a 
(lender ligneous ftalk which branches out on each fide, 
and rifes near three feet high •, the branches are adorn- 
ed with fmall oval leaves, which are fharply indented 
on their edges ; they are of a light green colour, and 
ftand upon fhort foot-ftalks. The flowers ftand fpar- 
fedly upon flender footftalks ariflngfrom the wings of 
the branches ; thefe are naked, fix or feven inches in 
length, and toward the top the flowers are ranged at 
a diftance from each other in a loofe fpike ; they are 
fmall, and of a bright blue colour, fitting very clofe ; 
thefe are fucceeded by two feeds inclofed in the em- 
palement, which is terminated by fhort awns or beards. 
This plant has flowered in the Chelfea Garden, but 
did not produce feeds. 
The eighteenth fort was difcovered by the late Dr. 
Houftoun growing naturally at Campeachy, from 
whence he fent the feeds to England •, this has a 
ftrong woody ftalk, which rifes ten or twelve feet 
high, covered with a light brown bark, and fends 
out many ligneous branches on every fide, which are 
garnifhed with roundifh, fawed, rough leaves, of a 
light green colour. Handing upon fhort foot-ftalks. 
The flowers are fmall, of a pale blue colour, and 
are collected into oval heads, (landing upon naked 
foot-ftalks which fpringfrom the wings of the branches; 
thefe feldom appear in this country, and are not fuc- 
ceeded by feeds here *, but the plants are eafily pro- 
pagated by cuttings during the fummer months, and 
may be preferved many years in a moderate ftove. 
The firft fort, as was before obferved, being a com- 
mon weed in England, is not kept in gardens. 
The third fort may be eafily propagated by feeds 
■which fhould be fown in autumn, and requires no 
other culture than to keep it clean from weeds, and 
thin the plants where they are too clofe. 
The fourth and fifth forts may alfo be propagated in 
the fame manner, and are equally hardy. If the feeds 
of thefe three forts are permitted to fcatter, the plants 
will come up the following fpring. 
The fecond and feventh forts have perennial roots, 
and are hardy enough to thrive in the open air ; thefe 
may be propagated by feeds, which fhould be fown 
in autumn, for when they are fown in the fpring, they 
rarely grow the fame year ; thefe plants require no 
other culture but to keep them clean from weeds, and 
allow them proper room to fpread ; they may alfo be 
propagated by parting their roots in autumn. They 
love a foft loamy foil not too dry. 
The other forts being natives of warmer climates, r§= 
VER 
quire more care. The feeds of thefe fhould be fown; 
upon a hot-bed early in the fpring, and when the 
plants are fit to remove, they fhould be each tranf- 
planted into a feparate fmall pot, and plunged into a 
frelh hot-bed to bring them forward ; they mufl be 
(haded in the day time with mats until they have 
taken new root, then they mull be treated* in the 
fame method as other tender plants from the fame 
countries. 
Thofe forts which are annual mull be removed into 
the ftove, or a good glafs-cafe, when they are become 
too tall to remain longer under the frames ; for if 
they are placed abroad in the open air, they will not 
ripen their feeds here, unlefs the lummer is very warm * 
and where there is a conveniency of having a bark-bed 
in a glafs-cafe, for plunging fame of thefe tender an- 
nual plants, they will thrive much better, and come 
to greater perfedtion than thofe which are placed on 
(helves. 
The forts which are perennial may be kept in fuch a 
glafs-cafe till autumn, allowing them a large fhare of 
air in warm weather, to prevent their drawing up 
weak as they increafe in their fize ; but this mult be 
done with caution, for if they are put into pots too 
large, they will not thrive. 
The feventeenth fort is by much the tendered plant 
of all the fpecies, and is very difficult to preferve 
when young. The feeds of this fhould be fown in 
a fmall pot, and plunged into a good hot-bed of tan- 
ners bark. When the plants appear, they fhould be 
fhaded from the fun in the heat of the day. They 
mull be frequently refreffied with water, but it muffc 
be given to them fparingly, for much wet will kill 
them. When they are tranfplanted into fmall pots, 
they mufl be carefully fhaded till they have taken 
new root, and they muft be conflandy kept in the 
bark-bed. 
VERB ESIN A. Lin, Gen. Plant. S73. Eupatorio- 
phalacron. Vaill. Adi. Par. 1720. 
The Characters are. 
The common empalement of the flower is concave , and 
compofled of a double order of leaves, which are channelled . 
‘The flower is made up of hermaphrodite florets in the difk 
and female half florets in the border or rays . The , her- 
maphrodite florets are funnel-Jhaped , and cut into five 
parts at the brim ; they have five very floor t hair-like /la- 
mina, terminated by cylindrical fummits, and a germen 
the fame figure as the feed, fupporting a flender Jlyle , 
crowned by two reflexed fiigmas. The germen afterward 
becomes a thick angular feed , crowned by a few three-point- 
ed chaff. The female half florets are ftretched out on one 
fide in Jhape of a tongue , which form the rays ; thefe have 
no ftamina , . but have a germen, Jlyle , and two fiigmaS 
like the hermaphrodite florets , and are fucceeded by feeds' 
like thofe. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedlion 
of Linnseus’s nineteenth clafs, which includes thofe 
plants whofe flowers are compofed of hermaphrodite 
and female florets which are all fruitful. 
The Species are, 
1. Verbesina (. Alata ) foliis alternis decurrentibus un~ 
dulatis obtufis. Hort. Cliff. 411. Verbefma with alter- 
nate running leaves , which are obtufe and waved. Bi-- 
dens Indica hieracii folio caule alato. Tourn. Inft. 462 . 
Indian JVater Hemp Agrimony, with a Hawk-weed leaf and 
a winged fa Ik. 
2. Verbesina {Alba) foliis lanceolatis ferratis feffilibus. 
Hort. Cliff. 500. Verbefma zvith fpear-fnapcd fawed 
leaves, which fit clofe to the flalks. Eupatoriophalacron 
balfaminte fceminae folio, fiore albo difcoide. Vaill. 
Adi. Par. 1719. Eupatoriophalacron with a female Bal- 
famine leaf, and a white difcous floape d flower. 
3. Verbesina ( Lavenia ) foliis ovatis trinervns glabris 
petiolatis, feminibus tricornuis. F!or. Zeyl. 310. Ver- 
heflna with oval three-veined leaves , having foot-ftalks 
and feeds with , three horns. Eupatoriophalacron fcro- 
phularite aquaticte foliis oppofitis. Burm. Zeyl. 94. 
Eupatoriophalacron with leaves like thofe of the PVater 
Be tony, and placed oppoflte , 
4. Vs?.* 
