ASA 
plain, and do not grow fo large, fior will they refill: 
the cold fo well. But as this is fuppofed to be a na- 
tive of a different country, and by ail the writers who 
have mentioned it fuppofed to be different, I have 
enumerated it among the fpecies. 
The two forts of Bambu are of great fervice to the 
inhabitants of India, who make molt of their common 
utenfils of the Hems of thefe canes, which grow to 
a prodigious magnitude in thofe countries. 
We have 'plants of the fourth fort in the Englifh gar- 
dens, which are more than twenty feet high 5 and if 
the ftoves in which they are kept were high enough 
to admit them, they would, according to appearance, 
rife to twice that height. The fhoots of this plant 
are of quicker growth than any other yet known, 
which rifes with an upright ftalk ; for a ftrong fhoot 
from the root will rife to twenty feet in five or fix 
weeks, as I have for feveral years obferved. Some 
of thefe items are as large as a man’s wrift, but in 
general as big as walking-fticks, and when dried are 
as fit for that purpofe as thofe which are imported. 
The leaves of this fort are much broader than thofe of 
the fifth, particularly at their bafe •, thefe leaves are 
generally put round the tea-chefts in their package, 
and are fattened together fo as to form a kind of 
mat. 
The fifth fort is more rare at prefent in Europe, tho’ 
it is the moft common on the coaft of Malabar. 
They are both tender plants, fo will not live in this 
country, unlefs they are preferved in a warm ftove ; 
and as their roots fpread very wide, they fhould 
not be confined: therefore to have them produce 
ftrong Items, they mutt be planted in large tubs, filled 
with rich earth, and plunged into the hot-bed in the 
bark-ftove ; and as they naturally grow in marfhy low 
places, they require plenty of water, efpecially 
when the roots have filled the tubs in which they were 
planted. When the tubs decay, the boards may be 
removed, and the plants permitted to root into the 
tan, which will encourage them to grow to a larger 
fize ; but then there muft be care taken when the bed 
is refrefhed with new tan, to leave a fufficient quan- 
tity of the old tan about the roots of the plants ; for 
if they are too much bared, and the new tan laid 
near them, when that heats, it will fcorch their roots 
fo that the plants are fometimes deftroyed by it. Both 
forts are propagated by flips from the roots, which 
fhould be taken off in the fpring, that they may be 
well eftabliflied before the winter. 
The fixth fort is what the Turks make their writing 
pens withal ; this grows in a valley near mount 
Athos, as alfo on the banks of the river Jordan, but 
there are none of the plants in England. This fort 
may be managed as the Bambu. 
A R UNDO SACCHARIFERA. See Sacha- 
rum. 
AS ARINA. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 171. tab. 76. Baf- 
tard Alarum. 
The Characters are, 
The empalement is of one leaf zvhich is cut into five equal 
fegments almojl to the bottom. 'The flower is of one leaf 
of the grining kind , having a long cylindrical tube , di- 
vided at the top into two lips , the upper one being divided 
into two parts, whofe edges are reflexed. The lower lip is 
fiightly cut into three parts which are obtufe\ the two lips 
join clofe together , fo as to form a kind of fnout. It hath 
four ftamina, two of which are longer than the other ; in 
the center is placed a round germen fupporting a fingle ftyle , 
crowned by an obtufe fiigma. The germen afterward turns 
to a round hujk , divided into 'two cells , which are full of 
roundifh feeds. 
This genus of plants is by Dr. Linnaeus joined to his 
genus" of Antirrhinum, which is ranged in the fecond 
feci ion of his fourteenth clafs, titled Didynamia An- 
giofpermia, the flowers having two long and two 
fhorter ftamina, and the feeds having a capfule. 
The Species are, 
1. As arina ( Procumbent ) caule decumbente foliis op- 
pofitis reniformibus crenatis. Baftard Afarum with a 
trailing ftalk , and kidney-fhaped leaves growing oppofite , 
ASA 
which are indented on their edges. Afarina hederula 
faxatilis. Lob. Icon. 601. Afarina , or Rock Ground- 
ivy. 
2. As arina {Ere A a) caule ereclo foliis lanceolatis am- 
plexicanlibus panicula dichotoma. Upright Baftard 
Afarum with fpear-faped leaves which embrace the ftalks , 
and fpikes of flozvers coming out from the divifon of the 
branches. Penftemon. Mitch. Gen; 14. 
The firft fort is a low trailing annual plant, the 
branches extend little more than a foot each way, and 
are weak, fo that unlefs they are fupported, they lie 
upon the ground ; thefe are garnifhed with leaves like 
thofe of Ground-ivy, which grow by pairs •, at the 
wings of the leaves the fiow r ers come out fingly on 
each ttde the ftalk, which are fhaped like thofe of 
Snap-dragon, but have a long tube ; they are of a 
worn-out purple colour at the top, but below of an 
herbaceous colour. Thefe come out in June, and the 
feeds ripen in September, which fhould be fown foon 
after, or permitted to fcatter, for when they are fown 
in the fpring they feldom grow. The plants fhould 
remain where they are fown, and require no other 
care but to keep them clean from weeds, and thin 
them where they grow too clofe. As there is not 
much beauty in this plant, two or three of them 
will be enough in a garden, for the fake of variety. 
It grows naturally in Italy and the fouth of France. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in North America. 
This plant hath upright ftalks, which grow a foot 
and a half high, and put out feveral fide branches, 
garnifhed with oblong fpear-fhaped leaves ending in 
a point, which grow oppofite, and embrace the ftalks 
at their bafe; the flowers come out in fhort loofe 
fpikes from the divifions of the ftalks, which are 
fhaped like thofe of the former, but are lefs, and of 
a purple colour. They appear in June and July, and 
their feeds ripen in September. 
The feeds of this fort fhould be fown in the autumn, 
for thofe which are fown in the fpring, feldom grow 
the fame year, but remain in the ground till the fol- 
lowing fpring. When the plants are grown ftrong 
enough to remove, they fhould be tranfplanted into 
a fhady border, which v/ill prevent their flowering the 
fame year ; and in the autumn they may be planted 
in the borders of the flower-garden, where they will 
add -to the variety. The roots feldom laft above two 
or three years, fo that young plants fhould be annually 
raifed. 
A S A R U M [from « privative, and QA-gu, Gr. to adorn, 
as much as to fay, a plant not fit for ornament,] 
Afarabacca. 
The Characters are, 
The flowers hath a thick bell-faped empalement of one leaf 
which is coloured , and fiightly cut at the brim into three 
parts , which are reflexed. It hath no petals , but twelve 
fort awl-fhaped ftamina , crowned by oblong fummits , 
which are faftened in the middle to the ftamina ; at the 
bottom of the empalement is inclofed a thick germen , fup- 
porting a fhort cylindrical ftyle , crowned by a reflexed, 
fiigma , cut into fix parts. The germen afterward turns 
to a thick capfule having fix cells , containing feveral oval 
feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in Linnaeus’s eleventh 
clafs, entitled Dodecandria Monogynia, the flowers 
having twelve ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. As arum {Europium) foliis reniformibus obtufis binis. 
Lin. Sp. PI. 442. Afarabacca with kidney-fhaped leaves , 
which have two blunt points. Afarum. C. B. P. 197. 
Common Afarabacca. 
2. As arum ( Canadenfe ) foliis reniformibus mucronatis. 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 442. Afarabacca with kidney-fhaped 
leaves ending in a point. Afarum Canadenfe. Cornut. 
Canad. 24. Canada Afarabacca. 
3. Asarum ( Virginicum ) foliis cordatis obtufis glabris 
petiolatis. Flor. Virg. 162, Afarabacca with fmooth, 
blunt , heart-fhaped leaves having foot-ftalks. Afarum 
Virginianum piftolochiae foliis iubrotundis cyciaminis 
more maculatis. Pluk. Aim. 53. 
The 
i 
55 
