AM A 
beautiful plant than this, when it is in full luirre. 
From the leaves of this plant being partly coloured 
like the feathers of parrots, feme botanifts have fe- 
parated this fpecies from the others, and conftituted 
a genus of it by the title of Pfittacus. 
The fecond fort hath been introduced into the Eng- 
lish gardens much later than the former. This grows 
to the fame height, and in the manner of its growth 
greatly refembles it ; but the leaves have only two 
colours, which are an obfcure purple, and a bright 
crimfon ; thefe are fo blended as to fet off each other, 
and when the plants are vigorous, they make a fine 
appearance^ 
The third fort hath no great beauty •, it grows about 
three feet high with an upright ftalk, which fends out 
fome lateral branches toward the top ; thefe are gar- 
niiliecl with oval heart-fhaped leaves. The flowers 
are produced at the wings of the ftalks in roundifn 
fpikes, as alfo at the extremity of the branches, but 
have very little beauty, fo do not delerve a place in 
the flower-garden. The young plants of this fort are 
gathered to boil inftead of Spinach by the inhabitants 
of India, where it grows naturally, and from thence 
I received the feeds of it as an efculent plant. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in America. This 
hath an upright Item, three feet high ; the leaves and 
ftalks are of a pale green colour ; the fpikes of flow- 
ers are produced from the wings of the ftalks, and 
alfo in clutters at the extremity of the branches : 
they are very long and hang downward, being of a 
bright purple colour. I have meafured fome of thefe 
fpikes, which were two feet and a half long, fo that 
many of them have reached the ground. 
The fifth fort hath a ftrong ftem, which rifes to the 
height of feven or eight feet, fending forth many ho- 
rizontal branches toward the top, garniihed with ob- 
long, rough, green leaves. At the extremity of every 
fhoot, the cylindrical fpikes of a purple colour are 
produced, which hang downward ; but thefe , are fel- 
dom half the length of thofe of the former fort, and 
are much thicker. This is the fort of Amaranth, 
which is directed by the college to be tiled in me- 
dicine. 
The fixth fort grows near three feet high, putting 
out feveral fide branches, which are garnifhed with 
oval blunt leaves ; at the ends of the branches the 
Ipikes are produced in clutters and grow creed, thefe 
are of a deep purple colour. 
The feventh fort grows near four feet high; the 
ftalks are inclined to red ; the leaves are of an oval 
fpear-fhaped figure, green colour, marked with pur- 
ple fpots, and have very long foot-ftalks. The fpikes 
come out at the extremity of the branches in clutters, 
as alfo from the wings of the ftalks •, thefe are of a 
pale green colour, and grow erect. I have received 
the feeds of this fort from Portugal, by the title of 
Bredos, recommending it to be cultivated as a culi- 
nary herb. 
The eighth fort grows naturally in moft of the warm 
parts of Europe, and alfo in America; for wherever 
it is permitted to fcatter its feeds, the plants will come 
up the following fummer, and become troublefome 1 
weeds, as will alfo the ninth fort ; fo thefe are feldom 
cultivated, as they are only preferred in botanic gar- 
dens for the fake of variety. The ftalks of both thefe 
forts fpread on the ground. 
The tenth fort grows upward of three feet high, and 
fends out many fide branches, which are hairy, and 
garnifhed with oblong rough leaves. The fpikes are 
produced from the wings of the ftalks, as alfo at the 
extremity of the branches, growing horizontally, and 
are of a green colour. There is little beauty in this 
plant, therefore is feldom admitted to gardens, unlefs 
for the fake of variety. 
The eleventh fort has been long in England, and was 
formerly propagated in flower-gardens, but is now 
become a common weed, frequently growing upon 
dunghills : for as the plants abound with feeds, fo 
where they are permitted to fcatter, there will be 
plenty of the plants co'me up the following fummer. 
And thefe feeds will remain in the ground feveral. 
years, and as often as they are turned up to the fur- 
face, they will produce plants ; fo that when plants 
are flittered to ftand till their feeds fall, there will 
be every fummer frefh crops of the plants for feveral 
years. 
The twelfth fort grows about two feet high, putting 
out many fide brandies, fo as to form a bufliy plant ; 
the leaves are oblong, and the fpikes come out at 
every joint, where the ftalks are armed with fnarp 
prickles, and at the extremity of the branches, die 
ipikes are longer than thole of the fide : thefe are 
(lender, and are inclining to a brown colour, fo make 
no great figure, therefore is rarely allowed to have 
a place, except in botanic gardens. 
The feeds of the thirteenth fort were fent me from 
the Bahama lilarids, as an efculent plant, bearing fine 
flowers. This grows three feet high, with purple 
ftalks and leaves ;• the fpikes are ftiort and cylindri- 
cal ; thefe are frequently produced from the wings of 
the ftalks, but at the extremity of the ftalk arifes a 
large clutter of fpikes which are placed croflwife, with 
one upright ftalk in the middle. Thefe are of a 
bright purple colour at firft, but afterward fade to a 
darker colour, as the feeds ripen. 
The fourteenth fort is a native of North America, 
from whence the feeds were fent to Europe, but is 
now become a common weed in many gardens near 
London, fo is feldom allowed a place, except in bo- 
tanic gardens. 
The fifteenth fort has no beauty, therefore not wor- 
thy of a place in gardens : this and the fixteenth fort 
are efteemed in fome parts of India as efculent herbs ; 
the inhabitants of thofe warm countries, gather the 
herbs while young, and drefs them inftead of Spi- 
nach, but being much inferior to it, they are feldom 
ufed in thofe countries where Spinach will thrive. 
Thefe plants grow from two> to three feet high, and 
when they have room, will fend out many fide 
branches ; but if their feeds are permitted to fcatter, 
there will be a plentiful fupply of plants the follow- 
ing fummer. 
I he feeds of the feventeenth fort were brought from 
China, and the two firft years , they were fown m Eng- 
land, produced beautiful heads of flowers, which 
made a gay appearance ; but afterward the feeds de- 
generated, and the plants which were produced from 
them had little beauty ; which is the cafe with fome 
others of this genus, fo fhould not be efteemed as 
diftindt fpecies. 
1 he forts which are worthy of a place in the plea- 
i’ure-garden, are particularly the firft and fecond : 
thefe are tender, and require fome art and care to 
bring them to perfection in England, therefore 
their management will be hereafter more particularly 
inferred. 
Next to thefe are the fourth, fifth, and thirteenth 
forts. T. he feeds of thefe fhould be fown upon a mo- 
derate hot- bed toward the end of March, , and wheii 
i the plants come up, they fhould have a large fhare 
of air admitted to them in mild weather, to prevent 
their drawing up weak. When they are large enough 
to tranfplant, there fhould be another moderate hot- 
bed provided, to which they fhould be removed, 
placing them at fix inches diftance every way, obferv- 
ing to water them, as alio to jhade them from the 
fun until they have taken new root ; after which the 
air ihould be freely admitted to them, at all times 
when the weather is favourable ; their waterings ihould 
be frequent, but not given in great quantities. As 
the plants advance, and the warmth of the feafon in- 
creafes, they fhould' have a greater fhare of air, that 
by degrees they , may be hardened to bear the open 
air. The beginning of June they may be taken up 
with large balls of earth to their roots, and planted 
fome into pots, and others into the borders of the 
pleafiire-garden, obferving to fhade them until they 
have taken good root ; after which they mutt be. fre- 
quently watered in dry weather, efpecially thofe in 
the pots, which Will require watering every evening- 
in 
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