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Sp. Plant. '2i 5. Swallow -wort' ‘with finboth fpear-Jhaped 
leaves , having foot-Jl'aljks , a fingle ftalk , upright fingle 
umbels . Apocynum radice fibrosa, petalis coccineis 
corniculis croceis. Hort. Elth. 34. commonly called 
Baftard Ipecacuana. 
18. Asclepias ( Gigantea ) foliisamplexicaulibus oblongo- 
ovalibus. Flor. Zeyl. 112. Swallow-wort with oblong, 
oval leaves , embracing the Jlalks. Apocynum e rectum 
majus latifolium Indicum. Pluk. Aim. 35. tab. 175. 
f - 
ip. Asclepias (Scandens) foliis oblorigo-lanceolatis fub- 
hirfutis caule fruticcfo fcandente umbellis lateralibus 
congeftis. Swallow-wort with oblong , fpear-Jhaped , hairy 
leaves , rz fhrubby climbing ftalk, and compact umbels pro- 
ceeding from the fide. 
The firft fort is the common Swallow- wort of the 
(hops. This is called Vincetoxicum & Hirundinaria, 
in Englifh Swallow-wort, or tame poifon, from its 
fuppofed virtue, being accounted a mighty counter 
poifon. The root is the only part which is ufed: it 
is compofed of many ftrong fibres, which are con- 
nected at the top, like thole of Afparagus, from 
which arife many foot-ftalks, in number proporti- 
onal to the fize of the roots ; which grow near 
two feet high, are very flender at the top •, the leaves 
are oval, ending in a point, and placed by pairs. The 
flowers are white, growing in umbels near the top of 
the ftalk, from which are fent out ftnaller umbels ; 
the flowers are of one leaf, cut into five parts, in the 
center of which are placed five horned nedtarii, among 
which the ftamina and ftyles are fituated. After the 
flower is paft, the two germen become two long 
pointed pods, inclofing many comprefled feeds, which 
are crowned with a foft white down. The flowers 
appear in June, and the feeds ripen in September. 
This fort grows naturally in the fouth of France, 
Spain, and Italy. 
The fecond fort agrees with the firft, in the fhape of 
its roots, leaves, and flowers, but the ftalks extend 
to a greater length, and toward their upper part twift 
round any flicks, or other plants, near them, and the 
flowers of this are black. This flowers at the fame 
time with the firft, and feldom fails to ripen its feeds 
in England. 
The third differs from both the other in the narrow- 
nefs of its leaves, and weaknefs of its ftalks ; the um- 
bels of flowers are fingle, and of a yellow colour. 
This flowers at the fame time with the two former 
forts, and generally perfe&s feeds in England. There 
is a variety of this with broader leaves, which may 
have come from the feeds of this. 
Thefe plants are common in the Englifh gardens, 
and natives of the fame countries. They are gene- 
rally propagated by parting their roots, efpecially the 
firft fort, which feldom produces feeds in England. 
The beft time for this is in autumn, when their ftalks 
begin to decay. They fhould not be planted nearer 
together than three feet, for the fibres of their roots 
extend to a confiderable diftance. They are very 
hardy plants, fo will thrive in any fituation, but love 
a dry foil. Their ftalks die in autumn, and new ones 
rife in the fpring. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in North America ; 
this riles with flender upright ftalks, garnifhed with 
very narrow leaves, growing in whorles round the 
ftalks, at the top of which grow umbels of fmail, 
white, ftarrv flowers. Thefe appear in July, but are 
never fucceeded by pods in England, fo are only pro- 
pagated by parting their roots ; which fhould be 
done in the fpring, before they put out new fhoots. 
The roots fhould be planted in a warm border and 
dry foil, and in winter covered with old tan, to pre- 
vent the froft from penetrating the ground. 
The fifth fort creeps greatly at the root, fo that it 
will foon fpread over, a large fpot of ground , this 
fends up ftrong Hems upward of four feet high, which 
have thick oval leaves placed bp polite, hoary on their 
under ikies. Toward the top of the ftalks the um- 
bels of flowers come out on the fide thefe are of a 
worn-out purple colour, frndling fweet, .and nod 
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downward; fometimes thefe are , fucceeded by' lame 
oval pods, filled with fiat feeds, crowned by a long 
foft down ; it flowers in July. This propagates faft 
enough by its creeping root, and will grow in any 
foil or fituation. It may be tranfplanted any time 
after the ftalks decay, or before the roots fhoot in 
the fpring. 
The fixth fort hath a perennial root, which fends uo 
feveral upright ftalks in the fpring, about two feet 
high, garnifhed with oval leaves growing oppofite ; 
at the top of the ftalks the umbels of flowers are pro- 
duced, which are of a bright purple colour, making 
a pretty appearance in July, but are not fucceeded by 
pods in England ; this mull be treated as the fourth 
fort. I was favoured with this by Mr. Peter Collinfon, 
F. R. S. 
The feventh fort grows naturally in North America. 
This hath a perennial root, which fends out fingle 
ftalks near three feet high, garnifhed with oval leaves, 
hairy on their under fide, placed oppofite ; the flow- 
ers grow in ered umbels at the top, and the nedarii 
are declining. They are of a worn-out purple co- 
lour refembling thofe of the fifth •, it is very hardy, 
and propagates faft by its creeping roots, but never 
produces feeds in England. This will grow in any 
foil or fituation, and may be tranfplanted when the 
ftalks decay. 
The eighth fort refembles the feventh, but the leaves 
are rough, and the umbels of flowers are more corn- 
pad, and come out on the fide of the ftalk ; thefe 
are of an herbaceous colour, and are not fucceeded 
by pods in this country, but is propagated by roots as 
the former fort. 
The ninth fort came firft from Canada, but hath fince 
been found growing naturally in feveral other parts of 
America. This hath a perennial root, which puts out 
feveral upright ftalks about two feet high, which have 
oblong fmooth leaves placed by pairs ; at the top are 
produced clofe umbels- of purple flowers ; thefe ap- 
pear in Auguft, but are not fucceeded by feeds here, 
fo is only propagated by parting the roots, which 
do not increafe very faft, therefore the plant is not 
very plenty in the gardens ; it is hardy enough to live 
abroad, if it is planted in a dry foil. 
The tenth fort is a native of North America, but is 
hardy enough to live abroad in England, if it is 
planted in a warm fituation and a dry foil. This hath 
declining ftalks, which are hairy, a foot and a half 
long ; the leaves are narrow, hairy, and placed op- 
pofite ; the umbels grow at the extremity of the 
branches, which are compact, the flowers are of a 
bright Orange colour. It is propagated' by feeds, 
which fhould be fown in pots, and plunged into a 
moderate hot-bed to bring up the plants, which fhould 
be inured to the open air fo foon as the weather will 
permit; for if they are drawn up weak, they feldom 
recover it. When they are of a proper ftrength to 
remove, they fhould be fhaken out of the pots, and 
planted in a warm border fix inches afunder, being 
careful to fhade them from the fun until they have 
taken frefh root, but they muff; have very little water 
given them, for they are milky plants, which rot with 
much wet. During the fummer they muft be kept 
clean from weeds, and when their ftalks decay in au- 
tumn, feme rotten tan fhould be laid over the ground 
to keep out the froft, which fhould be removed in 
the fpring before the plants put out new fhoots ; the 
following fummer they will require no other care than 
before, and alfo the next winter they muft be covered 
as in the former. The fecond fpring the roots may 
be tranfplanted where they are to remain ; the roots 
will then be ftrong enough to flower in fummer, and 
will laft feveral years, efpecially if they are covered 
with tan to keep out the froft, but they fhould not 
be afterward removed ; for when the roots are large, 
they will not bear transplanting. 
The eleventh fort is a native of the fame countries, 
and is much like the former, but differs in having up- 
right ftalks, and the leaves growing alternate. The 
roots of this grow to a large fize, fo will not bear 
A a tranf- 
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to 
