ASP 
are fhrabby, and rife eight or ten feet high, putting 
out feveral weak fide branches, garnifhed with long 
narrow leaves, coming out in clutters like thofe of the 
Larch-tree ; under each of thefe clutters is placed a 
fingle jfharp thorn. The ftalks continue feveral years, 
and the leaves keep green all the winter. This is 
commonly propagated by parting the roots, be- 
caufe the plants rarely produce feeds in this country; 
the belt time for this is in April. The roots mutt be 
planted in pots, and removed into the green-houfe in 
the autumn, for thefe plants will not live abroad in 
England. 
The fixth fort grows naturally in Spain, Portugal, 
and Sicily, generally in rocky places. This fends up 
many weak irregular fhoots, which have no leaves, 
but inftead thereof, are armed with fhort ftiff thorns, 
which come out four or five together from the fame 
point, and fpread from each other every way. The 
flowers are fmall, of an herbaceous colour ; the ber- 
ries are larger than thofe of the common fort, and are 
black when ripe. This is tender, fo mutt be treated 
as the third fort. 
The feventh fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope. This fends up from the root feveral flender 
ftalks, which put out weak branches, declining down- 
ward ; thefe are clofely garnifhed with briftly leaves, 
like thofe of Garden Afparagus, which continue green 
through the year. It hath not produced any feeds in 
England, fo is only propagated by parting the 
roots, as the fifth fort, and the plants flrould be treated 
in the fame manner. 
The eighth fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope ; this fends up many weak fhoots growing in 
clutters, which are armed with fharp fpines, both on 
the fide and ends of the fhoots ; the leaves come out 
in fmall clutters, which continue green all the year. 
This doth not produce feeds in England, fo is pro- 
pagated as the fifth fort, and requires the fame treat- 
ment. 
The tenth fort fends out from the root many weak 
climbing branches which rife five or fix feet high, 
garnifhed with narrow fpear-fhaped leaves coming out 
fingle; the fhoots are armed with fhort crooked fpines, 
which render it very troublefome to handle the plants ; 
for they are fo clofely fet on, that it is difficult to 
touch the branches. This is propagated by parting 
the root ; but the plants mutt be placed in a moderate 
ttove, otherwife it will not thrive in this country. It 
grows naturally in the ifland of Ceylon. 
Thefe plants are preferved in the gardens of the cu- 
rious, where they add to the variety ; being not dif- 
ficult to manage, where there is conveniency to houfe 
them in winter. They fhould have a place among 
other exotic plants. 
ASPARAGUS SCANDENS. See Medeola. 
A S P E N-T REE. See Populus. 
ASPERIFOLIOUS plants [afperifolius, of afper, 
rough, and folium, Lat. a leaf] are fuch plants as are 
rough-leaved, having their leaves placed alternately, 
or without any certain order, on their ftalks : the 
clafs of plants fo denominated by Mr. Ray, have a 
monopetaious flower, cut or divided into five parts ; 
after every flower there fucceed commonly four feeds. 
Of this clafs are Buglofs, Borage, Comfrey, Hounds 
Tongue, &c. 
A 5 P E R U G O, fin all Wild Buglofs. 
The Characters are, 
The empale', nent is of one leaf cut flightly at the top into 
five equal parts ; the flower is of one leaf having a fhort 
. cylindrical, tube , cut at the top into five fmall blunt parts, 
which are do fed at their hafe : it hath five fhort ftamina , 
crowned by. oblong fummiis ; in the center there are four 
compreffed germen, fapporting a fhort fender fiyle , crowned 
by a blunt ftigma. The germen afterward become four ob- 
. long feeds, inch fed in the empakment. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft flection of 
Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, entitled Pentandria Monogynia, 
the flower having five ftamina and one ftyle. 
We know but one . Spe cies of this genus, which is, 
AsPERtrbo, Fior, Lap.p>. 76. Small JVUd Buglofs , Great 
ASP 
Goofe Grafs, or German Madwort. Buglottlim fiylttettfe, 
caulibus procumbentibus. C. B. P. 257. * 
This is an annual plant, which is found wild in fome 
parts of England, as near Newmarket, at Boxiey in 
Suffex, and in Holy Ifland. It is preferved in 'bo- 
tanic gardens for variety, and may be eafily propa- 
gated by feeds, which fhould be fown in autumn j 
tor if the feeds are kept out of the ground till fpring, 
they do not fucceed fo well. When the plants come 
up, they require no other culture but to keep them 
clear from weeds, and in May they will flower : in 
June their feeds will be perfected, which, if fluttered 
to fcatter, will grow again in autumn ; fo that when 
this plant is once brought into a garden, it will main- 
tain itfelf, provided it be allowed a place. 
ASPERULA, Woodroof. 
This plant grows wild in fhady woods in many parts 
of England, and flowers in April or May, and is 
flometimes ufled in medicine. 
Dr. Linnaeus has joined to this genus the Gallium 
album, Gallium montanum, and Rubia flynanchica 
Saxatilis. C. B. But as thefe grow wild in England, 
and are rarely admitted into gardens, I fhall pals them 
over with juft mentioning them. 
ASPHODELUS [’Ao-po&x©^ Gr. by. Pliny it is 
called Haftula, or Baccillus Regius, becaufe when it 
flowers, the ftalk refembles a royal feepter.] King’s 
Spear. 
The Characters are. 
The flower has no empalement ; it is of one leaf cut into 
fix parts , which fpread open ; at the bottom is inferted a 
globular nebtarium , having fix valves ; it hath fix awl- 
fhaped ftamina , which are inferted in the valves of the 
nediarium, and are crowned by oblong fummits, which are 
proftrate, and turn upward ; between the neciarium is 
placed ■ a globular germen , fupporting an awl-fhaped ftyle , 
crowned by a club-like ftigma : the empalement afterward 
becomes a ftefhy globular feed-veffel , having three cells , 
which are filled with triangular feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fe&ion of 
Linnaeus’s fixth clafs, entitled Hexandria Monogynia, 
the flower having fix ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Asphodelus ( Luteus ) caifte foliofo, foliis triquetrls 
fiftulofis. Hort. Cliff. 127. King’s Spear with a leafy 
ftalk , and triangular jftular leaves . Afphodelus luteus 
& flore & radice. C. B. P. 28. 
2. Asphodelus {Ramofus ) caule nudo foliis enfiformibus 
carinatis kevibus. Lin. Mat. Med. 172. King’s Spear 
with a naked branching ftalk , and fmooth , fword-fhaped, 
carinated leaves. Afphodelus albus ramofus mas. 
C. B. P. 28. 
3. Asphodelus {Albus) caule nudo fimplici foliis 
lineari-enftformibus. King’s Spear with a fingle naked 
ftalk, and narrow fword-ftoaped leaves. Afphodelus albus 
non ramofus. C. B. P. 28. 
4. Asphodelus {Fiftulofus) caule nudo foliis ftridis fubu- 
latis ftriatis fubfiftulofis. Hort. Cliff. 83. King’s Spear 
with a naked ftalk, fiftufar awl-ftoaped leaves, and an an- 
nual root. Phalangium parvo flore ramofum foliis 
fiftulofis annuum. H. L. 
The firft fort is the yellow Afphodel, which is directed 
for ufe in medicine ; this hath roots compofed of many 
thick, fleffiy, yellow fibres, joined into a head at the 
top ; from whence arife ftrong, round, fingle ftalks, 
near three feet high, garnifhed their whole length 
with long triangular leaves, which are boat-fhaped, 
of a fea-green colour •, the upper part of the ftalk is 
adorned half way with yellow ftar-fhaped flowers, 
which begin opening from the bottom, and are fol- 
lowed by°others above ; fo that on the fame fpike, 
there is often a fucceffion of flowers for a month. It 
flowers in June, and the feeds ripen in autumn. 
There is a variety of this with a larger flower, men- 
tioned in the catalogue of the Royal Garden at Paris, 
by the title of Afphodelus fpiralis luteus Italicus 
magno flore, the feeds of which I received from the 
garden at Pifa, fome years ago ; and the firft year of 
the plants flowering in Chelfea garden, the flowers 
were larger, and the fpikes longer than thole of the 
(5 " common 
