ALT 
'Weeds •, but as they are annual, they rn&y with little j 
trouble be destroyed, if they do not hand to produce 
feed. 
A L T H f£ A [’AxSaA, fo called from d\Qmoo<, Gr . to 
heal], Marflim allow. 
The Characters are, 
The flower hath a double empalement ; the outer is 
of one leaf and is unequally divided into nine narrow fer- 
ments at the brim •, the inner one is alfo of one leaf cut 
into five broad acute fegments at the top *, thefe are loth 
permanent. The flower hath five petals which c'oalefce 
at their hafe , but fpread open above and are Jhaped like 
a heart. There are many Jiamina joined below , and form 
a kind of cylinder , but are loofe above , and inferted 
in the column. In the center is placed the orbicular ger- 
men, fupporting a fhort cylindrical ftyle , crowned with nu- 
merous ftigma , which are of equal length with the fta- 
mina. The empalement afterward becomes an orbicular 
deprejfed cap file ,• divided into feveral cells , each contain- 
ing one comprejfed kidney-Jhaped feed. 
This genus of plants is ranged by Dn Linnaeus in 
the third feftion of his fixteenth clafs, which is titled 
Monodelphia Polyandria, the ftamina being joined 
together to form a fort of column. 
The Species are, 
1. Althaea foliis fimplicibus acuminatis acute den- 
tatis tomentofis. Marfhmallow with Jingle woolly leaves , 
which are indented in Jharp fegments. Althaea Diofco- 
ridis & Plinii. C, B. P. 315. Common Marfhmallow. 
2. Alth/ea ( Officinalis ) foliis fimplicibus angulato-ro- 
tundioribus tomentofis. Marfhmallow with angular , 
woolly , round-pointed leaves. Althaea folio rotundiori 
aut minus acuminato. Sutherl. Edinb. 
3. Althaea (. Hirfuta ) foliis trifidis pilofo-hifpidis fupra 
glabris. Hort. Cliff. 349. Marfhmallow with trifid , 
hairy , pungent leaves. Alcea villofa. Dalechamp. Hift. 
594 - 
4. Althea ( Cannabina ) foliis inferioribus palmatis fu- 
perioribus digitatis. Hort. Cliff. 205. Marfhmallow 
with the under leaves jhaped like a hand , and the upper 
leaves more divided. Alcea fruticofo cannabino folio. 
Cluf. Hift. p. 2. pag. 25. 
The firft fort is the common Marfhmallow, which 
grows naturally in moift places in divers parts of Eng- 
land, and is frequently ufed in medicine. It hath a 
perennial root and an annual ftalk. The plant grows 
eredt, to the height of four or five feet, and puts out 
a few lateral branches on the fide of the ftalks, gar- 
nifhed with leaves which are hoary and foft to the 
touch •, they are angular, and placed alternately on 
the branches •, the flowers come out from the wings 
of the leaves, which are fhaped like thofe of the Mal- 
low, but are fmaller and of a pale colour. Thefe ap- 
pear in June or July, and the feeds ripen in Septem- 
ber. It may be propagated faft enough, either by 
feeds or parting their 1 roots. When it is propa- 
gated by feeds they fhould be fown in the fpring, but 
if by parting their roots, the beft time is in autumn, 
when the ftalks decay. It will thrive in any foil or 
fituation, but in moift places will grow larger than 
in dry land. The plants fhould not be nearer toge- 
ther than two feet, for their roots fpread wide on 
every fide. 
The fecond fort is fomewhat like the firft, but the 
leaves are not fo long, nor do they end in a fharp 
point, but are angular, and rounder than thofe of the 
firft. I have cultivated this in the Chelfea garden 
many years, and find it retains its difference. 
The third fort grows naturally in Spain and Portu- 
gal ; from both thefe countries I have received the 
feeds. This is a low plant, whofe branches trail on 
the ground, uniefs they are fupported by flakes. The 
leaves and ftalks are befet with ftrong hairs ; the 
flowers come out at the wings of the ftalks, and fire 
fmaller than , thofe of the common fort, having pur- 
plifh bottoms. The leaves are deeply cut into three 
parts, and have long foot-ftalks ; the ftalks are wood- 
dy, but feldorn laft more than two years. 
If the feeds of this fort are fown in April, the plants 
will flower in July, and the feeds ripen in Septem- 
ber. They fhould be fowh in the places .where they 
are to remain, for as the roots fhoot deep into the 
ground, uniefs the plants are removed very young, 
they feldom furvive tranfplanting. 
The fourth fort has a woody ftern, which rifes to the 
height of four or five feet, and puts out many fide 
branches. Thefe are garnifhed with leaves of dif- 
ferent fhapes •, thofe which are on the lower part of 
the ftalks are like a hand, very {lightly cut toward 
their outfide, but thofe which are placed on the upper 
part of the branches, are deeply cut into feveral parts ; 
thefe are hairy, and grow alternately on the branches 
the flowers come out from the wings of the ftalks in 
the fame manner as the other forts, but are not fo 
large as thofe of the common Marfhmallow ; they are 
of a deeper red colour, and the empalement is much 
larger. This fort feldom flowers the firft year, uniefs 
the fummer proves warm ; but when the plants live 
through the winter, they will flower early the follow- 
ing fummer, and produce good feeds. This grows 
naturally in Hungary and Iftria, from both which 
places I have received the feeds. 
It is propagated by feeds, which fhould be fown in 
the fpring in the place where the plants are to re- 
main ; or if otherwife, the plants muft be tranfplanted 
young, elfe they will not fucceed. They fhould have 
a fheltered fituation and a dry foil, otherwife they will 
not live through the winter in England. When thele 
plants grow in a ftony foil, or in lime rubbifh, they 
will be Hinted in their growth, but they will have lefs 
flap in their branches, fo will better endure the cold of 
this climate. This fort feldom continues longer than 
two years in England, but as the feeds ripen here, the 
plants may be had in plenty. 
ALTHiEA FRUTEX. See Hibiscus and La- 
VATERA. 
A L Y S S O I D E S. See Alyssum and Lunaria. 
ALYSSON ALPINUM LUTEUM. See Draba. 
ALYSSON SEGETUM. SeeMYAGRUM. 
ALYSSON SERPILLI FOLIO. See Clypeola. 
ALYSSON VERONICA FOLIO. See Draba. 
ALYSSON YULGARE. See Draba. 
ALYSSUM, jjAAui t<tov, of aAuWw, Gr. to be mad ; 
fo called, becaufe it was believed to have the virtue 
of curing madnefs.] Mad wort. 
The Characters are. 
The flower hath an oblong four-leaved empalement , which 
falls away. It hath four petals in form of a crofs , which 
fpread open above the empalement. It hath fix ftamina , 
two of which are foorter than the other four , crowned 
with broad fummits ■, in the center of the fewer is fitu- 
ated the oval ger men, fupporting a Jingle ftyle, cr owner' 
with an obtufe ftigma. After the flower is p aft, the gr ~ 
men becomes a globular or comprejfed feed-veffel , in ~ itch 
are lodged feveral comprejfed feeds. 
This genus is ranged in the fifteenth clafs of Lin* 
nteus, entitled Tetradynamia Siliculofa the flowers 
of this clafs have fix ftamina, four of ' inch are longer 
than the other two, and the feed - effels are fhort, in 
fome globular, and in others th ey are compreffed. 
The Species are, 
1. Alyssum {Sax at He) caulibo; frutefeentibus panicula- 
tis foliis knceolatis me liffimis undulatis integris. 
Prod. Leyd. '31. Mod-wort with fhrubby ftalks, flow- 
ers growing inpanicles, and whole, foft, fpear-Jhaped waved 
leaves. Alyffon dreticum faxatile foliis undulatis in- 
canis. Tourn. Cor. 15. 
2. Alyssum ( Halimifolium ) foliis lanceolato-linearibus 
acutis integerrimis caulibus procumbentibus peren- 
n antibus. Hort. Cliff. 333. Madwort with whole , 
fpear-Jhaped , pointed leaves , and trailing perennial ftalks. 
Alyffon halimi folio fempervirens. Tourn. Inft. 
3. Alyssum ( Spinofum ) ramis floreis fenilibus fpinifor- 
mibus nudis. Hort. Cliff. 332. Madwort, whofe 
older branches have naked fpines. Thlafpi fruticofum 
fpinofum. C. B. P. 108. 
4. Alyssum {Montanum) ramulis fuffruticofis diffufis fo- 
liis pundlato-echinatis. Hort. Upfal. 185. Madwort 
with florubby diffufed branches and leaves, having prickly 
■punctures. Thlafpi montanuin luteum. J. B. 2. p. 928. 
5. Alyssum 
