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when they have obtained, ftrength, they will bear the 
open fun very well, and in a rnoift foil will make 
great progrefs •, whereas in dry ground they frequent- 
ly ftint, and produce plenty of male flowers and cones, 
by the time they get to the height of lour or five feet. 
When the branches of thefe rees are cut off to trim 
them up to have Items, it fhould be done gradually, 
never cutting more than one tier ot branches in one 
year •, for if too many wounds are made at the fame 
time on thefe refinous trees, the turpentine will iffue 
out in fuch quantities as to weaken and check their 
growth. The belt time for pruning thefe tre.es is in 
September, at which time they abound not fo much 
in turpentine as in the fpring, and, confequently, do 
not bleed much. What flows out at that leafon, is 
feldom more than is neceftary for covering the wounds, 
to prevent the wet and cold of the fucceeding winter 
from penetrating the wounded parts. Theie branches 
fhould be cut clofe to the trunk. 
ABROT ANUM, or Southernwood. See Artemisia. 
ABROTANUM FCEMINA. See Santolina. 
A B R U S. See Glycine. 
ABSINTHIU M, Wormwood. See Artemisia. 
ABUTILON. See Sida. 
ACACIA, Egyptian Thorn, or Binding Bean Tree. 
See Mimosa. 
ACALYFHA, three feeded Mercury. This genus 
of plants is by Dr. Linnaeus ranged in the ninth fec- 
tion of his twenty-firft clafs, which comprehends fuch 
plants as have their male flowers furnilhed with one 
let of united ftamina. 
The Characters are. 
The male flowers are in clufers Jituated above the female 
in the fame plant. Thefe have no corolla : they have a 
four leaved empalement with fever al for t ftamina , which 
are joined at their bafe , having roundifh fummits. The 
female flowers have a large empalement, a three leaved cup 
which is permanent : they have no corolla. A roundijh 
germen with three branching fiyles , and a long ftigma. 
The cup afterwards turns to a capfule with three cells , 
each containing one roundijh feed. 
The Species are, 
1. Acalypha ( Virginica ) involucris foemineis cordatis in- 
cifis, foliis ovato-lanceolatis petiolo longioribus. Hort. 
Upfal. 290. i. e. Three feeded Mercury , whofe female 
flowers have a heart-faped empalement , and oval jpear- 
ftaped leaves , with long foot fialks. Mercurialis tri- 
coccos hermaphroditica. 
2. Acalypha ( Virgata ) fpicis foemineis involucris cor- 
datis ferratis •, mafculis aphyllis diftinftis foliis lanceo- 
lato-ovatis. Amoen. Acad. 5. p. 410. Three feeded Mer- 
cury , whofe female flowers have an indented heart-faped 
empalement , diflinA from the male. 
3. Acalypha ( Indica ) involucris foemineis cordatis fub- 
crenatis, foliis ovatis petiolo brevioribus., Flor. Zeyl. 
341. Mercury , whofe female flowers have heart-faped 
crenated empalement s and oval leaves. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Virginia, and feveral 
other parts of North America, from whence I re- 
ceived the feeds. It is an annual plant, which fel- 
dom grows more than a foot high, fending out fe- 
veral fide branches towards the bottom. The leaves are 
very like thofe of the broad leaved Pellitory of the 
wall, and are placed alternately, having long foot- 
ftalks, from the ate, or wings of the leaf. The flow- 
ers are produced in imall cluflers, the male always 
being above the female. Thefe make but a poor ap- 
pearance, and refemble thofe of the Pellitory fo much, 
that at a frnall diftance, any perfon might fuppofe 
them to be the fame, till convinced by a nearer in- 
fpeftion. 
If the feeds of this fort are permitted to flatter, the 
plants will come up in the fpring, better than if fown 
by hand •, for if they are not put into the ground in 
Autumn, they rarely grow the firft year. All the cul- 
ture this plant requires, is to keep it clear from weeds, 
and let it remain where it was fown, for it doth not 
bear removing well. It flowers in Auguft, and the 
feeds ripen in Oftober. 
The fecond fort is a native of the warmeft countries. 
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1 "... 
I received the feeds of this from Jamaica,- where it ' 
grows in great plenty. This is alfo an annual plant, 
which in England feldom exceeds the former lort in 
its feature. The leaves of this greatly refemble thofe 
of the annual Nettle, and fling full as much when 
touched. It is too tender to thrive in the open air in 
England, therefore the feeds fhould be fown in pots, 
plunged into a hot-bed ; and if the plants do not come ' 
up the firft year, (which often happens) the pots 
fhould be put in flicker in winter, and the following 
fpring plunged again into a hot-bed, which will bring 
up the plants. Thefe muft be traniplan ted into pots, 
and brought forward in hot-beds, otherwife they will 
not produce feeds ripe in England. 
Thefe plants have no beauty to recommend them, but 
as they are preferved in feveral gardens for the lake 
of variety, I thought it neceifary to insert them here. 
ACANACEOUS plants [fo called from , 
Gr. a thorn or prickle] are fuch as have prickly heads. 
ACANTHUS \oIko. A tf, fo called, as feme fay, 
from a thorn.] It is alio called Branca Urfina, 
or Bear’s-breecli. , 
The Characters of this plant are. 
The empalement is compofed of three pair of unequal 
leaves. The flower is unequal , of one leaf with a Jhort 
tube , the beard , or lower lip , being large , plain, and 
eredl. It has no upper lip. The fiamina and flyle 
occupy the place of it. Thefe are arched and f retched cut 
beyond the empalement. There are two long and two 
forter fiamina, which clofely coalefce to the flyle, which 
is fituated upon a roundijh germen, and afterwards be- 
come an oval capfule, having two cells, each containing 
cne flefy'fmocth oblong feed. 
This genus of plants is by Dr. Linnaeus ranged in 
the fecond lection of his fourteenth clafs, mntied Di- 
dynainia Angiofpermia, from the flowers having two 
1 long, and two fhorter ftamina, and the feeds grow- 
ing in a cover. 
The Species are, 
1. Acanthus ( Mollis ) foliis fmuatis inermibus. Hort. 
Cliff. The common, or fmooth garden Beafs-breech. 
Acanthus Sativus vel Mollis Virgilii. C. B. 
2. Acanthus (Nigt$j foliis fmuatis inermibus glabris 
lucide virens ; Portugal Beaf's-breech, with fmooth fmu- 
ated leaves of a lucid green colour. Acanthus Eylitani- 
cus ampliffimo folio lucido. JulT. 
3. Acanthus (Dijemkis) foliis lanceolatis integerrimis 
margine ipinofis. Gr on. Gv. Aliddle Beaf's-breech, with 
intire leaves , having fpines on their borders. 
4. Acanthus ( Spinojus ) foliis pinnatifidis fpinofis. Hort. 
Cliff. 326. Prickly Bear's -breech. Acanthus aculea- 
tus. C. B. P. 383. 
5. Acanthus ( Ilicifolius ) foliis repandis dentato-fpinofis, 
caule fruticofo aculeato. Ofb. it. 92. Shrubby Bear's- 
breech, with prickly leaves like Holly. Acanthus mala- 
barius, agrifolii folio. Pet. fie. 10. 
The firft fort is what is uled in medicine, and is 
fuppofed to be the Mollis Acanthus of Virgil. The 
leaves of this plant are cut upon the capitals of Co- 
rinthian pillars. 
Various have been the difputes among the learned 
about the plant, which is mentioned under this title 
by Virgil, who have given fo many different charac- 
ters to it, that no plant yet known will agree, 
with them all. Many, therefore, have been of 
opinion, that there were two forts of the Acanthus, 
one of them a tree, and the other an herb. The tree 
is fuppofed to be the Egyptian Acacia, and the plant 
the firft fort here mentioned ; but there yet remains 
a difficulty with regard to feme of the epithets applied 
to that plant, as firft, where it is mentioned to be an 
evergreen berry-bearing plant. Baccas femper fron- 
dentis Acanthi. As to its being evergreen, that may 
be eafily conceived of our Acanthus, in the warm cli- 
mate of Italy •, for in England, where the plants grow 
in a warm fttuation, they are feldom deftitute of leaves 
more than fix weeks, unlefs the winter proves very fe- 
vere. We may alfo fuppofe, that the fiefhy oval feed- 
veffels of this plant might be taken for berries. But 
then with regard to its being a twining plant, fled 
tacuifem 
