v i T 
iernate and quinate leaves which are cut like wings , and 
whorled fpikes of flowers terminating the branches. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Sicily, and near Na- 
ples, by the fides of rivers and in moift places ; it has 
a llirubby ftalk eight or ten feet high, fending out 
branches oppofite the whole length, which are angu- 
lar, pliable, and have a grayifh bark ; thefe are gar- 
niihed with leaves for the moft part placed oppofite, 
upon pretty long foot-ftalks •, they are compofed of 
five, fix, or feven lobes which unite at the foot-ftalk, 
and fpread out like the fingers of a hand •, the lower 
are fmall, and the middle are largeft ; they are fmooth 
and entire •, the largeft are about three inches long, 
and half an inch broad in the middle, ending in blunt 
points, of a dark green on their upper fide, but hoary 
on their under*. The flowers are produced in fpikes 
at the extremity of the branches •, the fpikes are from 
feven to fifteen inches long ; thefe are difpofed in 
whorls round the ftalks, with intervals between each 
whorl ; they are of the lip kind •, the two lips are 
each cut into three fegments, the middle being larger 
than the two fideTegments ; they are in fome plants 
white, and in others blue ; thefe are generally late 
before they appear, fo that in bad feafons they do 
not open fair in England, and in warm years the 
plants produce no feeds here. The flowers have an 
agreeable odour when they open fair, and make a 
good appearance in autumn, when the flowers of 
moft other ftirubs are gone, for in warm mild fea- 
fons I have feen thefe fhrubs in full flower the mid- 
dle of October. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in the fouth of 
France, and in Italy; this is a lower (hrub than the 
firft ; it feldom rifes more than four or five feet high, 
comi.no- up with feveral ftalks from the root, which 
do not° branch fo much as the former ; their bark is 
alfo whiter. The leaves are fingered, and compofed 
of five or feven lobes which unite at the foot-ftalk ; 
thefe are not fo difproportionate in their length, the 
lonoeft being feldom more than tmee inches, and the 
fhorteft an inch and a half; they are near an inch 
broad, and are fawed on their edges, and are not fo 
ftiff' as thofe of the former. The flowers come out in 
panicled fpikes toward the end of the branches ; the 
fpikes are (hotter, and the flowers fmaller than thofe 
of the firft fort, and appear fooner ; they are all of 
them blue whicn I have leen. 
The third fort grows naturally in both Indies ; this 
has a Ihrubby ftalk which rifes nine or ten feet high, 
fend in 2 out many fide branches which have a brown 
bark, and are garnilhed with leaves which have fome- 
pmes three, and at others five, oval acute-pointed 
lobes which are entire, and a little downy on their 
under fide. The flowers are difpofed in panicles, 
which arife at the divifion of the branches ; thefe are 
fmall and white, but are not fucceeded by any feeds 
in England. . 
The fourth fort grows naturally in the northern parts 
of China, where it riles with woody ftalks eight or 
ten feet high, having a gray bark. The branches 
come out oppofite, and are garnifhed with leaves 
placed oppofite upon long foot-ftalks ; thefe are com- 
pofed of three or five fpear-fhaped lobes which are 
deeply fawed on their edges, and end in very acute 
points ; the largeft of thefe lobes are three inches and 
a half long, and an inch and a quarter broad, of a 
dark oree n on their upper fide, but gray on their un- 
der. & The flowers are difpofed in whorled fpikes, 
v, hich come out oppofite from the wings of the ftalk, 
and the branches are terminated by branching fpikes 
of flowers ; thefe are blue, and about the fize of thofe 
of the firft. This flowers in July and Auguft, but 
does not produce feeds in England. 
The fifth fort is a native in China; this. is a lower 
fhrub than either of the former. The ftalk feldom 
rifes more than three feet high, fending out fpreading 
branches on every fide, which are (lender and angu- 
lar; thefe are garniflied with leaves placed oppo- 
fite,' which (land upon pretty long foot-ftalks ; they 
are fome of them compofed of three, and others of 
V I T ' . * 
five lobes, which are deeply and regularly cut on 
their fides in form of winged leaves, and end in acute 
points. The largeft of thefe lobes is about an inch 
and a half long, and three quarters of an inch broad 
in the middle ; they are of a dull green colour on their 
upper fide, and gray on their under. The branches 
are terminated by fpikes of flowers about three or 
four inches long, which are difpofed in whorls round 
the ftalks ; theie are in fome plants white, in others 
blue, and fome have bright red flowers ; they are in 
beauty from the middle of July to the beginning of 
September, but the plants do not produce feeds in 
Europe. 
The firft fort is pretty common in many Englifli gar- 
dens, where it has been long an inhabitant, but was 
not much propagated till of late years. The fecond 
fort is lefs common, and only in fome curious gardens ■ 
at prefent. Thefe plants are very hardy, and may be 
propagated by planting their cuttings early in the 
fpring, before they (hoot ; they require a frefti light 
foil, and muft be frequently refrefhed with water un- 
til they have taken root ; after which they muft be 
carefully cleared from Weeds during the fummer fea- 
fon, and if the following winter prove fevere, you 
muft lay a little mulch upon the furface of the ground 
between the plants, to prevent the froft from penetrat- 
ing to their roots, which would injure them while 
they are young ; and as thefe cuttings are apt to (hoot 
late in the year, their tops will be very tender, and 
the early frofts in autumn often kill them down a con- 
fiderable length, if they are not proteded, therefore 
they (hould then be covered with mats, which will be 
of great fervice to them. Toward the middle of 
March, if the feafon is favourable, you (hould tranf- 
plant them either into the places where they are de- 
figned to remain, or into a nurfery to grow two or three 
years to get ftrength, where they muft be pruned up, 
in order to form them into regular ftalks, otherwife 
they are very fubjed to (hoot out their branches in a 
draggling manner. 
They may alfo be propagated by laying down their 
branches in the fpring of the year, in doing of which 
you muft be very careful not to break them, for their 
(hoots are apt to fplit if they are violently forced ; 
thefe will take root in one year, provided they are 
watered in very dry weather, and may then be tranf- 
planted out, and managed as was direded for thofe 
plants raifed from cuttings. 
The third fort is too tender to live in the open air in 
England, fo muft be planted in pots, and conftantly 
kept in the ftove ; it is propagated both by cuttings 
and layers, but the cuttings of this muft be planted 
in pots, and plunged into a? moderate hot-bed, co- 
vering them clofe with a bell or hand-glafs to ex- 
clude the air ; they (hould be refrefhed with water 
now and then, but it muft not be given them too free- 
ly. The beft time to plant the cuttings is about the 
middle or latter end of April, for' if they fucceed, 
they will put out roots in fix or feven weeks, and will 
then begin to lhoOt, fo they (hould have the free air 
gradually admitted to them to prevent their (hooting 
weak ; then they may be carefully taken up, \ and 
each planted into a feparate fmall pot filled with light 
earth, and plunged into the hot-bed again, (hading 
them from the fun till they have taken new root ; af- 
ter which they (hould have plenty of free air at all 
times when the weather is good, treating them in the 
fame manner as other tender plants. In winter they 
muft be kept in a moderate temperature of heat, but 
in the fummer they (hould have the free air in mild 
weather, but not removed into the open air. 
As this plant retains its leaves all the year, it makes 
a variety in the ftove, but the flowers have no great 
beauty. 
The fourth fort is, I believe, - loft in the Englifli gar- 
dens, for it had lived in the open air. fome years, 
which had encouraged people to plant them in the full 
ground, where they were all deftroyed by the fevere 
froft in 1740, fince when I have not feen orte of the 
growing plants. 
