r\ 
compofe the difk , and the female the raps : the hermaphro- 
dite are fabulous, with five fegments ; the female are 
tongue-Jhaped, divided into two or three fegmsnts •>- the 
firfi have five Jhort ftamina , an oval gemen with a fie n- 
- der fiyle , and two ftigmas ; the female are like them. 
c The flower-cup afterward contains one oval feed , crowned 
with haiiy down. 
This genus of plants is ranged by Dr. Linnaeus in 
the fecund fefition of his ninteenth clafs •, the flowers 
of this feflion are compofed of hermaphrodite florets 
in the center, and female in the circumference. 
The Species are, 
1. Am e ll us ( Lychnitis ) foliis oppofitis lanceolatis obtu- 
fis, pedunculis unifloris. Lin. Sp. 1276. Star-flower 
with fipear-jhaped obtufe leaves placed oppofite , and one 
flower on each foot-ftalk. 
2. Amellus {Umbellatus) foliis oppofitis triplinerviis fub- 
tus tomentofis, fioribus umbellatus. Am oca. Acad. 
5. p. 407. Star-flower with oppofite leaves having three 
veins , and flowers in umbels. 
The firlt fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope. It rifes from two to three feet high, fending 
out branches on every fide, garnifned with fpear- 
fhaped leaves placed oppofite, terminated by fiower- 
ftaiks, each fupporting one Violet-coloured flower, 
with a yellow difk, fhaped like thofe of the After, 
which appear in July or Auguft. 
This is a perennial plant, which is eafily propagated 
by cuttings, wfliich, if planted in ftiade during any 
of the fummer months, and duly watered, will put 
out roots ; thefe fhould be taken up with bails of 
earth to their roots, and planted in pots, that they 
may be fheltered in winter, either under a common 
frame, or in a green-houfe, where they may have 
plenty of air in mild v/eather, otherwife they will 
draw up weak and have little beauty. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Jamaica ; this 
hath hoary ftalks which rife two feet high, fending 
out fide branches, which are garnifhed with oval 
leaves placed oppofite •, the flowers which terminate 
the branches grow in fmall umbels, but thefe have 
little beauty. It may be propagated by feeds, which 
fhould be fown on a hot-bed in the fpring •, when the 
plants are fit to remove, two or three of them fhould 
be planted in pots, then plunged into a hot-bed of 
tan, to bring them forward to get ripe feeds in the 
autumn, otherwife the plants will require a ftove in 
winter. 
AMENTACEOUS flowers [of Amentum , hat. a 
firing, thong, or latchet] are fuch as have an aggre- 
gate of fummits, hanging down in form of a rope, 
or cat’s tail, which is alfo called an lulus ; as in Wil- 
lows, Walnuts, Poplars, &c. 
A M E T H Y S T E A. Lin. Gen. 32. Amethyftina. 
Amman. Haller. Amethyft. 
The Characters are. 
The flower hath a permanent bell-jhaped empalement of 
one leaf ", cut into five equal pointed fegments at the 
brim ■, the flower is of one leaf , of the lip kind , divided 
into five unequal parts at the top •, the upper leaf is eredl , 
rovmdifh , concave , and cut into two the lower lip is cut 
into three parts , the middle fegment being concave, and of 
the fame length with the upper lip , but the two fide feg- 
menps are f sorter and eredt. It hath two fender ftamina, 
which ftand under the upper lip , but are longer •, thefe are 
crowned with romdijh fummits. In the center is fituated 
a quadrifid germen , fupporting a fingle fiyle , crowned with 
two acute fiigma : af ter the flower is paft, the germen be- 
comes four naked feeds , flout up in the empalement. 
This genus of plants is by Dr. Linnaeus ranged in 
his fecond clafs of plants, entitled Diandria Mono- 
gynia, the flower having two ftamina and one 
ftyle. 
We know but one Species of this genus, viz. 
Amethystea. Hort. Upfal. 9. Amethyftina montana 
erefta foliis exiguis digitatis trifidis ferratis, flofeulis 
cum coma e cceruleo-janthinis. Amman. Ruth. 4. 
i. e. Mountain upright Amethyft , with ' fmall , trifid , flawed 
leaves , and the heads and flowers of a jacinth blue. 
This plant is a native of the mountains in Siberia, 
from whence the feeds were lent to the imperial gar- 
den at Peterfburgh, where the plants flouriflied and 
perfected their feeds, part of which were fent.me by 
the late Dr. Amman, which grew in the Cheifea gar- 
den, where the plants annually produce feeds. ' > 
It is an annual plant with an upright ftalk, which 
rifes about a foot high toward the top it puts out 
two or three fmall lateral . branches, garnifhed with 
fmall trifid leaves, fawed on their edges, of a very 
dark green colour ; at the extremity of the branches 
the flowers are produced in fmall umbels ; they are 
of a fine blue colour, as are alfo the upper part 
of the branches, and the leaves immediately under the 
umbel j fo that although the flowers are fmall, yet 
from their colour with thofe of the upper part of the 
ftalks, the plants make a pretty appearance, during 
their continuance in flower. If the feeds of this plant 
are fown in the autumn, or are permitted to fcatter, 
the plants will come up early the following fpring, 
and thefe will flower the beginning of j one ; but 
thofe which are fown in the fpring, will not flower till 
July ; and in dry feafons, the feeds will remain in the 
- ground a whole year, fo that the beft time for fow- 
ing them is in the autumn. 
When the plants come up, they will require no other 
care but to keep them clean from weeds, and where 
they are too clofe to thin them-, for they do not thrive 
when tranfplanted, therefore the feeds fhould be fown 
where they are to remain. 
AM MANN I A. Houft. Nov. Gen. Lin. Gen. 
Plant. 144. 
The Characters are. 
It hath a bell-jhaped , oblong , erehl, permanent empale- 
ment., having four angles , and divided at the brim into 
eight fender parts. I he flovoer hath no petals , but four 
fender ftamina which are as long as the empalement in 
which they are inferted. 'Thefe are crowned with double 
fummits. In the center is fituated a large round germen, 
fupporting a floor t fly Is crowned with a ftigrna the em- 
palement afterward becomes a round cap fule with four cells , 
which are filled with fmall feeds. 
This genus is by Dr. Linnaeus ranged in his fourth 
clafs of plants, entitled Tetrandria Monogynia, the 
flower having four ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Ammannia ( Latifolia ) foliis femiarnplexicaulibus, 
cauie tetragono. Hort. Cliff. 344. Ammannia with 
a fquare ftalk , and leaves embracing it half round. Am- 
mannia paluftris, cauie quadrangulari foliis anguftis. 
Houft. MSS. 
2. Ammannia ( Ramoftor ) foliis fubpetioiatis cauie ramo- 
fa. Lin. Sp. Plant. 120. Ammannia with leaves hav- 
ing floort foot-ftalks and a branching ftalk. Ludvigia 
aquatica erefta cauie rubente, foliis ad genicula bi- 
nis longis angtiftis hyffopi inftar flore tetrapetalo ai- 
bo. Clayt. 
3. Ammannia ( Baccifera ) foliis fubpetioiatis capfulis ca- 
lyce majoribus coloratis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 120. Am- 
mania whofe leaves have floort foot-ftalks, and a coloured 
feed-vejfel larger than the flower -cup. 
Thefirft fort grows naturally in moift places in Jamai- 
ca, from whence Dr. Hotifton fent the feeds to Eng- 
land, which fucceeded at Cheifea, and have Lorn 
thence been diftributed to rnoft of the botanic gar- 
dens in Europe. 
It grows about a foot and a half high, with an upright 
fquare ftalk, and long narrow leaves fet in form of a tri- 
angle, whofe bafe half furrounds it thefe grow the 
whole length of the Item. They are of a pale green, 
and of the confluence of thofe of Purflane ; the ftalks 
are alfo fucculent, and of the fame colour with thofe 
of that plant. The flowers come out in whorles round 
the ftalks, at the joints where the leaves adhere, in 
clufters : thefe have no petals, fo make no great ap- 
pearance, and are fbon fueceeded by round feed-vef- 
fels, which are full of fmall feeds. 
The plant mtift be raifed on a hot-bed in the fpring, 
and afterward rf moved to another hot-bed to bring 
it forward. When the plants have acquired ftrength, 
they fhould be tranfplanted into pots filled with rich 
L ' light 
