AGO 
poifonous* This is by feme writers titled' An thora, 
and by others Antithora, as the poifonous kinds have 
been tailed Thora. Whenever therefore any of the 
fpecies of this genus is ordered in medicine, this is the 
fort intended. 
Moft, if not all the other forts are efteemed poifon- 
ous , but thole with blue flowers are fuppofed to be of 
a much ftronger quality, than the yellow or white 
flowered kinds. It is confidently affirmed, that the 
huntfmen on the Alps, who hunt the wolves and other 
wild animals, dip their arrows into the juice of thefe 
plants, which renders the wounds made by them deadly. 
The fixth fort is the firft which flowers •, this grows 
near four feet high, and the fpikes of flowers are up- 
ward of two feet long, fo that when it is in flower, it 
makes a pretty appearance •, and being very hardy, 
growing in any foil or fituation, and multiplying 
greatly by the root, has induced many perfons to al- 
low it a place in their gardens, for the fake of its 
flowers, who being ignorant of its dangerous quali- 
ties, have permitted it to fpread and propagate greatly. 
It flowers in May and June. The feeds are ripe in 
September but as this fort multiplies fo greatly by 
the root, it is rarely propagated the other way. 
The firft and fecond forts are the next which flower ; 
thefe come about the middle of June, and if the fea- 
fon is not warm, will continue in flower till Auguft. 
The firft grows upwards of three feet high, and the fe- 
cond. above four, the fpikes of flowers too in this being 
much longer than the former. 
The third fort flowers a little later than either of thofe, 
but feldom grows more than two feet high, and the 
fpikes of flowers are much fhorter than either of the 
two laft. 
The wholefome Wolfsbane flowers in the middle of 
Auguft, and often continues in beauty till the middle 
of September ; the flowers are not fo large as thofe of 
feme other forts, but being of a fulphur colour, make a 
pretty appearance in the borders of the flower-garden. 
This fort will not thrive fo well under the fhade of 
trees as many of the other forts, and therefore muft 
have an open expofure. 
The ninth and tenth forts flower the beginning of 
July. The ninth ufually grows about four feet high, 
but the tenth I have feen upwards of fix. This fort is 
atprefent very rare in Europe. It was found by Dr. 
Tournefort in the Levant, who font the feeds to the 
royal garden at Paris, where it was firft cultivated in 
Europe, and from that garden, others have been fur- 
niffied with the feeds. 
The eighth fort flowers in July. This grows about 
four feet high, having a long fpike of yellow flowers 
of a middling fize, wherefore they may be allowed a 
place among ihrubs, or in fuch parts of the garden as 
are not frequented by children. 
The fifth, fixth, and feventh forts flower in Auguft, 
when they make a pretty appearance ; and were it not 
for their noxious quality, would deferve a place in 
every garden. There are two or three varieties of the 
fifth fort, one with white, another with Rofe coloured, 
and a third with variegated flowers •, but thefe are 
only varieties which often change. TheNapellus mi- 
nor is alfo apt to change in the colour of its flower •, 
of this fort I have had feme plants with variegated 
flowers, but they changed in two years and became 
plain, nor did their feeds produce any plants with va- 
riegated flowers. The feventh fort will grow to the 
height of five feet in good ground •, the flowers are 
very large, but not many upon each fpike. Thefe are 
of a deep blue colour. 
All the forts of Monkfhood may be propagated by 
feeds, which fhould be fown in the autumn, in a fhady 
fituation : the plants often, come up the firft year, if 
the feeds are fown in autumn, otherwife it is the fe~ 
cond fpring before they appear ; therefore the ground 
fhould be kept clean from weeds all the following 
hammer, and when the plants come up, they fhould 
be watered in dry weather until they are fit to tranf- 
plant 5 when they are to be carefuljy taken up, and 
planted in fhady borders, at the diftance of four 
A C T 
inches each way, obferving to water them until they 
have taken good root in the ground; after which 
time they will require no other care but to keep them 
clean from Weeds, till the following autumn, when 
they may be tranfplanted to die places where they are 
to remain. 
The common Monkfhood will grow under the fnade 
of trees, in wilderneftes or woods, and will increafe 
fail enough by means of its creeping roots ; but tho* 
moft of the other forts delight in fhade, yet few of 
them will thrive under trees', for which reafon they 
fhould be planted in fhady borders which are not over- 
hung by trees, where they will continue much longer 
in flower, and thrive better than in an open expofure. 
AGO N ITEM El YE MALE. See Helleborus. 
A C O R U S, the Sweet Rufh. 
The Characters are. 
It hath a finvple cylindrical ftalk , which is clofely covered 
with [mail flowers , fo as to form a fort of katkin ( or inks )„ 
‘Thefe flowers have no empalement , but are compofid of fix 
concave obtufie petals. In the center of the flower is jituated 
a [welling germen , attended by fix ftamina, which are ex- 
tended beyond the petals , and are crowned with thick double 
fummits the germen afterward turns to a Jhort triangular 
capfiule , having three cells , in which are lodged oval oblong 
feeds. 
Dr. Linnaeus ranges this genus in his fixth clafs of 
plants, entitled Alexandria monogynia, the flowers 
having fix ftamina and one ftyle. 
We have but one Species of this plant, 
Acorus ( Calamus ) Roy. Leyd. 6. The fiweet fuelling Flag 
or Calamus. Acorus verus, five calamus aromaticus. 
C. B. P. 34. 
This plant grows naturally in {landing waters which 
are fhallow, and is found wild in fome parts of Eng- 
land particularly in Norfolk, and alfo near Uxbridge 
in Middlefex, and in feveral parts of the north. In 
Holland this plant abounds in moft of their ditches 
and {landing waters. The leaves of this plant, when 
broken, fend forth a ftrong aromatic feent; the roots are 
much ftronger, and have been long ufed in medicine. 
This may be tranfplanted into a garden, where if the 
ground is moift, it will grow very well ; but never 
produces its fpike, unlefs it grows in the water. It 
loves an open fituation, and will not thrive well un- 
der the fhade of trees. The fpikes of flowers (which 
are by many writers termed (Juli) appear toward the 
latter end of June, and continue till Auguft. When 
this plant is fixed in a proper fituation, it will multiply 
by its creeping roots fall enough. 
AC RI VI OLA. See Trophsolum. 
A C T M A, Herb Chrifcopher. 
The Characters are, 
The empalement of the flower is compofed of four concave 
obtufle leaves , which fall ofl\ the flower hath flour petals 
which are much larger than the empalement. In the center 
is placed the oval germen^ crowned with an oblique deprejfied 
ftignia , attended by numerous J lender ftamina , crowned with 
erect double roundijh fummits. After the flower is paft , 
the germen becomes an oval or globular berry , having ons 
cell , in which are lodged four feeds , which are roundijh on 
their outjide , but angular where they are joined. 
Dr. Linnteus ranges this genus under his thirteenth 
clafs of plants, entitled Polyandria monogynia, the 
flowers having many ftamina and one germen. 
The Species are, 
1. Act^a ( Spicata ) racemo ovato fruftibufque baccatis. 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 504. Common Herb Chriftopher , or Bane 
Berries. Chriftophoriana vulgaris noftras racemofa & 
ramofa. Mor. Hift. p. 2, 8, 
2. Acthsa ( Alba ) racemo ovato baccis niveis, radicetu- 
berofa. American Herb Chriftopher , with white berries. 
Chriftophoriana Americana baccis niveis. Mor. Hift. 
p. 28. 
3. Acthsa ( Racemofa ) racemis longiffimis fruftibus uni- 
capful aribus. Lin. Sp. PL 504. American black or wild. 
Snakercot. Chriftophoriana Americana procerior & lon- 
gius fpicata. Hort. Elth. 79 - 
The firft fort grows naturally in feveral places in the 
northern counties of England : I found it in pretty 
great 
