A L A 
Jifelies des Plantes. Sometimes it is ufed for leaves 
which confift of many lobes or wings. 
Alse is alfo ufed to fignify thofe petala of papiliona- ' 
. ceous flowers placed between the Vexillum and the 
Carina, which the French call, Les dales des Fleurs le- 
gmnineufes. 
Ake is alfo ufed for thofe extreme {lender membrana- 
ceous parts of certain feeds ; as is the Bignonia Plu- 
meria, the fruit of the Maple, &c. which the French 
call Semences dilees. Again, 
Alse is ufed for thofe foliaceous membranes which run 
the whole length of the ftem ; whence it is called, 
Caulis alatus , a winged ftalk ; in French, Pige ailee : but 
modern writers have ftyled thefe foliis decurrentibus , 
or running leaves, becaufe thefe alse or wings are con- 
nected with the leaves. 
ALAB ASTRA, are thofe green herbaceous leaves 
that encompafs flowers. Jungius explains Alabaf- 
trum to be the globe, or roundifli bud, that is but 
juft; peeping Out. 
ALATERNOIDES. See Phylica, Clutia, 
and Ceanothus. 
ALATERNUS [called ’eaahoV/hjOs as though of 
iXalu, an Olive, and zj-pkgp, an Ilex], or evergreen 
. Privet. 
The Characters are, 
It hath male and female flowers in different plants in 
forne fpedes , and in others both forts of flowers on the 
fame. Phe male flowers are comp o fed of an empalement 
of one leaf , which is funnel-floaped, and cut into five feg- 
ments at their brim to the fides of the empalement are 
fixed five finall petals ; at the bafe of thefe petals are faft- 
ensd fo many Jiamina , which are crowned with round fum- 
mits. Phe female flowers have a great refemblance to the 
male , but have no Jiamina. In the center is placed the 
germen , fupporting a trifid ftyk crowned by a round ftigma , 
the germen afterward becomes a foft round berry , contain- 
ing three feeds. 
Dr. Linnaeus has joined this genus to the Rhamnus, 
to which he has alfo added the Frangula, Paliurus, 
and Zizyphus, and ranges them in his fifth clafs of 
plants, entitled Pentandria Monogynia. 
The Species are, 
1. Alaternus ( Phylica ) foliis ovatis marginibus crena- 
tis glabris. Common Alaternus , with fnooth leaves in - 
. dented on their edges. Alaternus, i Cluf. Hifp. 56. 
2. Alaternus ( Glabra ) foliis lubcordatis ferratis gla- 
bris. Alaternus with heart-Jhaped finovth leaves , which 
are fawed on their edges. Alaternus minore folio. 
Tourn. Inft. 595. 
3. Alaternus ( Angufiifolia ) foliis lanceolatis profunde 
ferratis glabris. Alaternus with fnooth fpear-fhaped 
leaves , which are deeply fawed. Alaternus monfpeli- 
aca foliis profundius incifls. FI. R. Par. 
4. Alaternus ( Latifolia ) foliis ovato-lanceolatis inte- 
gerrimis glabris. Alaternus, with fnooth oval fpear- 
fhaped leaves , which are entire. Alaternus Hifpanica 
latifolia. Tourn. Inft. 596. 
The varieties of thefe plants are, the firft fort with 
variegated leaves, which is commonly called Bloatch- 
ed Phillyrea by the nurfery gardeners. And the third 
fort with leaves ftriped with white, and another with 
yellow ; thefe are known by the Silver and Gold ftrip- 
ed Alaternus : but as thefe are accidental varieties, 
I have omitted placing them among the number of 
fpecies. 
The common diftinflion of this genus from the 
Phillyrea, is in the poiition of their leaves, which in 
the plants of this are placed alternately on the branch- 
, es, whereas thofe of Phillyrea are placed by pairs 
oppoftte •, this is obvious at all feafons, but there are 
more effential differences in their characters, as will 
be explained under the article Phillyrea. 
The firft fort has been long cultivated in the Englifti 
gardens, but the plain fort is now uncommon here •, 
for the bloatched-leaved fort has been generally cul- 
. tivated in the nurferies, and the other has been almoft 
totally negledted. 
Thefe plants were much more in requeft formerly 
than they are at prefent, . when they were planted 
ALA 
againft walls in court-yards to cover them, as alfo to 
form evergreen hedges in gardens, for which purpoie 
thefe were improper ; for their branches fhoot very 
vigoroufly, and being very pliant, they are frequently 
displaced' by the wind ; and in winter, when much 
fnow falls in Hill weather, the weight ot that which 
lodges on the hedges, frequently breaks them down,: 
add to this the, trouble of keeping them in order, 
which cannot be effected with lefs than three times 
clipping in a feafon, which is not only expenftve, 
but alfo occaflons a great litter in a garden : thefe in- 
conveniencies have juftly brought tnefe hedges into 
difefteem. 
The third fort with filver-ftnped leaves, was alfo in 
great requeft forne years ago, for planting againft 
out-houfes, and other buildings, to hide the brick- 
work ; but as thefe required to be often clipped, and 
their branches frequently wanting to be fattened up 
to the wall, which was troublefome and expenftve, 
and this fort of wall hedges being great harbour ror 
vermin, there has been of late but little demand for 
thefe plants. The fort with gold-ftriped leaves is 
pretty rare in the Englifti gardens, and is not fo hardy 
as that with fllver ftripes, fo that in fevere winters 
they are often killed,. But the tafte for thefe varie- 
gated plants is almoft loft in England, there being 
few perfons now, who do not prefer the plain green 
leaves to thofe which are ftriped. 
The fecond fort was formerly in the Engliffi gardens, 
in much greater plenty than at prefent. This was. ge- 
nerally called Celaftrus, or Staff-tree. The leaves of 
this fort are placed at greater diftances than thofe of 
the firft, fo that their branches appear thinly covered 
with them, which may have occafioned their being 
difefteemed. The leaves of this are ihorter than thofe 
of the firft fort, and are rounded at their foot-ftalks 
fomewhat like a heart-ftiaped leaf, the edges are alfo 
fawed. 
The thrid fort has been an old inhabitant in forne 
gardens, but was not much propagated till of late 
years •, the leaves of this are much longer and nar- 
rower than thofe of either of the other forts, and the 
ferratures on their edges are much deeper this flioots 
its, branches more erect, and forms an handfomer buffi 
than any .of the other, and is equally hardy, fo may 
be allowed to have a place in all plantations of Ever- 
greens. This grows naturally in the fouth ot France, 
where the berries are gathered, and fold by the name 
of Avignon berries, for the ufe of painters, &c. for 
making a yellow pigment. 
Thefe forts are by lome fuppofed to be only varieties 
and not diftinct fpecies •, but from many repeated tri- 
als, in railing them from feeds, I can affirm they do 
not vary, the feeds constantly producing the fame Ipe- 
cies as they were taken from. 
The fecond fort grows naturally about Turin, from 
whence I have been fupplied with the feeds. 
All thefe forts are eafily propagated by laying their 
branches down, as is praftifed for many other trees. 
The beft time for this is in the autumn, and if pro- 
perly performed, the layers will have made good 
roots by the autumn following, when they may be 
cut off from the old ftock, and planted either into the 
nurfery, or in the places where they are defigned to 
remain. When they are planted in a nurfery, they 
flioukl not remain there longer than a year or two j 
for as they fhoot their roots to a great diftance on 
every fide, fo they cannot be removed after two or 
three years growth, without cutting off great part of 
them, which is very hurtful to the plants, and will 
greatly retard their growth, if they furvive their re- 
moval.-, but they are frequently killed by traniplant- 
ing, when they have flood long in a place. They 
may be transplanted either in the autumn or the fpring, 
but in dry land the autumn planting is beft, whereas 
in moift ground the fpring is to be preferred, 
The plain forts may alio be propagated by Towing 
their berries, which they produce in great plenty, but 
the birds are greedy devourers of them:, fo that un- 
lefs the berries are guarded from them, they will foon 
be 
5 
