A G A 
that of the firft, but more horizontally ; the flowers 
are of the fame fhape, but fmaller, and of a greener 
colour. After the flowers are paft, inftead of ieed- 
veffels, young plants fucceed to every flower, fo that 
all the branches are clofely befet with them, i here 
was a plant of this kind which flowered in the Chelfea 
garden 1755, the ftem of which begun to (hoot the 
beginning of Q&ober, and by the end of that month 
was upwards of ten feet high, by the end of Novem- 
ber it was near twenty, and the lower lateral branches 
were upward of four feet long, the others decreafmg 
gradually, fo as to form a regular pyramid., In De- 
cember the ftalks were clofely garmfhed with flowers, 
and in the fpring, when the flowers dropped off, they 
were fucceeded by young plants, which as they fell 
off and dropped into the pots which flood near, put 
out roots and become good plants. This fort never 
produces offsets from the root, fo that it cannot be in- 
creafed but when it flowers, at which time there will 
be plenty enough. The old plant prefen tly after 
dies. 
The fourth fort hatli leaves fomewhat like the third 
in fhape and colour, but they are indented on their 
edges, and each indenture terminates in a fpine ; the 
root of this fort is thick, and fwells jufl above the fur- 
face of the ground, in other refpefts it agrees with 
the former. This fort hath not flowered in England, 
therefore I cannot tell how it differs in its flowers from 
the other. I have railed this from feeds which were 
fent me from America, but the plants never put out 
fuckers from the roots, fo that it can only be propa- 
gated by feeds. Dr. Linnaeus fuppofes it to be the 
fame with the third fpecies, but whoever fees the plants 
will not doubt of their being different. 
The fifth fort never grows to a large fize •, the leaves 
of it are feldom more than a foot and a half long, and 
about two inches and a half broad at their bafe •, thefe 
end in a (lender lpine, being (lightly indented on their 
edges •, they are alfo reflexed backward toward their 
extremity, and are of a dark green colour. The 
flower-ftem riles about twelve feet high, and branches 
out toward the top in the fame manner as the third 
fort ; the flowers are nearly of the fame fize and co- 
lour as thofe of the third, and after they fall off, are 
fucceeded by young plants in the fame manner. A 
plant of this kind flowered in the garden at Chelfea, 
in December 1 754. This never produces any fuckers 
from the root, fo cannot be iacreafed until it flowers. 
The leaves of the fixth fort are from two feet and a 
half to three feet long, and about three inches broad, 
being of a dark green colour, ending in a black fpine •, 
the borders of the leaves are of a browr.ifh red colour, 
and (lightly ferrated. Thefe fcand more erect than in 
the other fpecies ; but as this fort hath not flowered 
in England, fo I cannot fay how it differs from the 
other. The plants of it were fent me from St. Chrif- 
topher’s, by the title of Koratto, which I fuppofe is 
given indifferently to other fpecies of this genus ^ for 
I have frequently heard the inhabitants of America 
call the common great Aloe by the fame name. 
The eighth fort hath long, narrow, iliff leaves, which 
are entire, and are terminated by a iliff black fpine. 
Thefe leaves are feldom more than two feet long, arid 
little more than an inch broad, being of a glaucous 
colour. The fide leaves (land almofl horizontally, 
but the center leaves are folded over each other, and 
inclofe the flower-bud. This fort never puts out 
fuckers from the root, nor have I feen any plants of 
this kind in flower, although there are many of them 
in the Engliili gardens, forne of which are of a con- 
flderable age. 
The third, fourth, fifth, fixth, and eighth forts, are 
much tenderer than the others, fo cannot be preferved 
through the winter in England, unlefs they are placed 
in a warm flove ; nor will they thrive if fet abroad in 
fummer, therefore they fhould conflantly remain in 
the flove, obferving to let them enjoy a great fhare of 
free air in warm weather. They require alight fandy 
earth, and fhould have little wet in winter •, but in 
warm weather, may be gently watered twice a week, 
A G E 
which is as often as is neceffary for if they have much 
water given them, it rots their roots, and then their 
leaves will decay and infefls infefc them. They fhould 
be fhifted eyery fummer into frefh earth, but mud 
not be put into large pots, for unlefs their roots are 
confined, the plants will not thrive. 
AGEE. AT UM. Lin. Gen. Plant. 842. Baflard 
Hemp Agrimony. 
The Characters are, 
The flowers are included in one common oblong empale- 
ment , which is compofied of many flcales. , 'Thefe are uni- 
form , tubulous , and hermaphrodite , and little longer than 
the empale ment, each being cut at their margin into five 
fegments , which [pread open. 2 hefe have five fender fta- 
mina , crowned with cylindrical jumndts : in the center of 
the flower is fiituated an oblong germen , fiupporting a fen- 
der ftyle , crowned by two fine ftigmas. The germen after- 
ward becomes an oblong angidar feed, crowned with its 
proper little cup , cut into five narrow fegments , which 
fipread open. The receptacle of the feed is firnall , naked, 
and convex. 
This genus of plants is by Dr. Linnaeus ranged in 
his feventeenth clafs, entitled Syngenefla polygamia se- 
qualis, the flowers having their (lamina joined together 
in a cylinder, and there being male, female, and her- 
maphrodite florets included in the fame common em= 
palement. 
The Species are, 
1. Ageratum ( [Conyzoides ) foliis ovatis caule pilofo. Lin. 
Sp. Plant. 839. Baflard Hemp Agrimony , with oval 
leaves and a hairy fialk. Eupatorium humile Africa- 
num fenecionis facie folio lamii. Pieim. Pars 161. 
2. Ageratum. ( Houftonianum ) foliis oppofitis petiolatis 
crenatis, caule hirfuto. Baflard Hemp Agrimony, with 
leaves having long ftoot-fla.lks placed oppojite, whofie edges 
are bluntly indented , and a hairy fitalk. Eupatorium 
herbaceum melifiae folio villofum flore coeruleo. 
Houfl. MSS. 
3. Ageratum {Altiflhnum) foliis ovato cordatis rugofis 
floralibus alternis, caule glabro. Lin. Sp. Plant. 839. 
Baflard Hemp Agrimony , with rough , oval , heart-Jhaped 
leaves, flower branches growing alternate, and a fimooth 
ftalk. Eupatorium urticae foliis Canadenfe flore albo. 
H. L. 
The two firft are annual plants. The feeds of thefe 
muft be fown on a hot-bed in the fpring, and when 
the plants are come up and are ftrong enough to re- 
move, they fhould be tranfplanted into another mo- 
derate hot-bed, obferving to water and fhade them 
until they have taken root, after which time they muft 
have a good fhare of air in warm weather. In June 
they fhould be inured to bear the open air, toward 
the middle of which month, they may be tranfplanted 
into the full ground, where they will begin to flower 
in July, and continue flowering till the frofts in au- 
tumn "deftroy them. The feeds ripen in September 
and Oflober, and when any of them icatter upon the 
ground, and the fame earth happens to be put on a 
hot-bed the following fpring, the plants will come up 
in great plenty, as they frequently do in the open air ; 
but thefe plants will be too late to produce good feeds, 
unlefs the fummer proves warm. The firft fort grows 
naturally in Africa, and alfo in the iflands of Ameri- 
ca •, for in tubs of earth which I received with plants 
from Jamaica, Barbadoes, and Antigua, I have had 
plenty of the plants arife, from feeds which, were Pat- 
tered on the ground. The fecorid fort was found 
growing naturally at La Vera Cruz, by the late Dr. 
William Houftoun, who fent the feeds to Europe, 
which have fo well fucceeded in many gardens, as to 
become a weed in the hot-beds. There is a variety 
of this with white flowers, which arifes from the fame 
feeds. 
The third fort grows naturally in North America, but 
has been many years an inhabitant of the Englifh gar- 
dens. This hath a perennial root and an annual ftalk \ 
the ftalks will grow five cr fix feet high, and toward their 
tops put out fide branches : the leaves are fhaped like 
a heart. At the ends of the {hoots the flowers are pro- 
duced in large tufts, which are of a pure white-, and 
E thefe 
11 
