ASP 
common fort ; but in two years time, they were fo 
like the common fort as not to be diftrnguifhed from 
it, as were alfo the young plants which were raifed 
from the feed faved at Chelfea, therefore it ffiould be 
efteemed an accidental variety. 
The fecond fort hath roots compofed of many thick 
flefhy fibres to each of which is fattened an oblong 
tuber, as large as fmall potatoes the leaves are long 
and flexible, having acute edges •, thefe grow in irre- 
gular clutters, from the crown of the root ; between 
thefe come out the ftalks, which rife more than three 
feet high, fending out feveral fide branches, which 
are naked ; the upper part of thefe are adorned with 
many white ftar-fhaped flowers, conflfting of 'one leaf 
cut into fix parts, each having a purple line running 
lengthways on the outflde of each fegment. The 
flowers grow in long fpikes, flowering gradually up- 
ward. They appear the beginning of June, and the 
feeds ripen in autumn. 
The third fort hath roots like the fecond, but the 
leaves are longer and narrower •, the ftalks of this are 
Angle, never putting out any fide branches *j the flow- 
ers are of a purer white, and grow in longer fpikes. 
This flowers at the fame time with the former. 
The fourth fort is an annual plant •, the roots of this 
are compofed of many flefhy yellow fibres, the leaves 
are fpread out from the crown of the root, clofe to 
the ground, in a large clutter ; they are convex on 
their under fide, but plain above, and hollow like 
a pipe ; the flower-ftalks rife immediately from the 
root, and grow about two feet high, dividing into 
three or four branches upward, which are adorned 
’with white ftarry flowers, with purple lines on the 
butfide. Thefe flower in July and Auguft, and their 
feeds ripen in October, loon after which the Plants de- 
cay. It grows naturally in the fouth of France, Spain, 
and Italy. i 
Thefirft fort grows na turally in many of the iflands 
of the Archipelago, and alfo in Sicily. The fecond, 
third, and fourth forts grow naturally in Portugal, 
Spain, and Italy ; the third fort is not quite fo hardy 
as either of the other, fo in very fevere froft is fome- 
times killed, unlefs the roots are covered in winter. 
The yellow fort multiplies very fall by roots, and 
will foon overfpread a large border, if fuffered to re- 
main unremoved, or the fide roots are not taken off ; 
but the other forts are not fo productive of fhoots 
from their fides, and are much better kept within 
bounds. 
The fecond and third forts do not increafe very fall 
by their roots, nor ihould they be often tftmfplanted, 
for that will weaken them, fo that their flower-ftems 
will not rife fo tall, or produce fo many flowers, as 
when they are left undifturbed for fome years •, there- 
fore the beft way is to propagate thefe by feeds. 
Thefe three forts of Afphodel are very pretty orna- 
ments for a flower-garden, and, requiring very little 
trouble to cultivate them, are rendered more accep- 
table. They may be all propagated by feeds, which 
ihould be fown foon after they are ripe, on a warm 
border of light frefh earth : in the fpring the plants 
will appear, when you ihould carefully clear them 
from weeds, and in dry weather they mutt be fre- 
quently watered : if this be duly obferved, the plants 
will have acquired ftrength enough to be tranfplanted 
by the Michaelmas following ^ at which time you 
mutt prepare a bed of frefh earth in the flower nur- 
fery, into which you ihould plant the roots, at about 
fix inches diftance every way, obferving to plant 
them fo low, as that the top of the roots may be three 
or four inches under the furface of the bed ; and fome 
old tan, or dung, ihould be fpread over the furface 
of the ground, to keep out the froft : in this bed 
they may remain one year, during which time they 
ihould be kept clear from weeds •, by which time, the 
roots having acquired ftrength enough to produce 
flowers- the following year, they ihould, in autumn, 
when their leaves are decayed, be carefully taken up, 
and tranfplanted into the flower-garden, obferving to 
place them in the middle of .the borders, amongft 
othpr hardy kinds of flowers, where being properly- 
intermixed, they will make an agreeable variety, and 
continue a long time in flower. 
The fourth fort is an annual plant, fo is only propa- 
gated by feeds ; thefe ihould be fown in the autumn, 
when they will more certainly grow than if fown in 
the fpring : when the plants are up, they will require 
no other trouble but to keep them clean from weeds, 
until they have put out four or five leaves, when they 
Ihould be carefully removed to the places where they 
are to remain for good. If the feeds of this plant are 
permitted to fcatter, the plants will come up without 
care, and thole which are not removed, will be the 
ftrongeft plants, and produce a greater number of 
flowers. 
ASPLEN I U M, or Ceterach [is fo called from di 
privative, and Qn-xfiv the fpleen, became good againft 
difeafes of the fpleen.,] Spleenwort or Miltwafte. 
The Characters are. 
The leaves are like thofe of the Polypody , hut lefs , and 
pretty round , notched toward the fide downy on their 
under fide , 'having a fquamous duft , in which , hy the help 
oj a . micro f cope, membranous capfuls, or feed pods, lying 
clofe to one another , are perceived, every one furnijhed with 
a little round, cord , which by its conflmMion opening the 
fruit into two parts, pours forth certain very fmall feeds: 
the root is fibrous. This plant thrives in ftony places , as 
in walls , &c. 
This plant is of the Fern kind, and grows upon bid 
moift fhady walls in divers parts of England ; but is 
never cultivated in gardens. There are feveral fpecies 
of this plant in America, but they have not been in- 
troduced into England. 
ASTER [’Asy, Gr. a Star-, fo called becaufe the 
flower is radiated with little leaves after the manner 
of a ftar.] Starwort. 
The Characters are. 
It hath a compound flower, compofed of fever all female and 
hermaphrodite florets, included in one common fcaly empale - 
ment ; the rays or border of the flower is compofed of fe- 
veral female florets, whofe upper parts are fir etched out on 
'one fide like a tongue, and indented in three fegment s at the 
end the hermaphrodite florets form the difk or middle ; 
which are funnel-Jhaped , and divided at the top into five 
parts, fpreading open , and have each five floort fender ft a - 
min a , crowned with cylindrical fummits •, in the bottom is 
placed a crowned germen, fupporting a fender ftyle, crowned 
by a bifid ftigma the germen afterward becomes an oblong 
feed, crowned with down : the female flowers have a 
germen fupporting a fender ftyle, crowned by two oblong 
ftigma , which turn backward. Thefe have no flamina , 
but in other refpcdls are like the hermaphrodite flowers. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fection 
of Linnaeus’s nineteenth clais, intitled Syngenefia Po- 
lygamia 'fuperflua, from the fame flower having female 
and hermaphrodite florets included in the fame em- 
palement. 
The Species are, 
1. Aster (. Alpinus ) foiiis lanceolatis hirtis, radicalibus 
obtufis, caule flmpliciflimo unifloro. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
872. Starwort with hairy fpear-Jhaped leaves , thofe at 
the root blunt, and a Jingle ftalk, having one flower . 
After montanus caeruleus magno flore foiiis oblonois. 
C. B. P. 267. 
2. Aster ( Amelins ) foiiis lanceolatis obtufis fcabris.tri- 
nerviis integris, pedunculis nudiufeulis corymbofis 
fquamis calycinis obtufis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 873. Star- 
wort with rough , blunt , fpear-Jhaped leaves , which are 
entire , having three veins, naked foot-ftalks, flowers in a 
corymbus , and blunt feales to the empalement. After at- 
ticus cteruleus vulgaris. C. B. P. 2 67. vulgarly called 
Italian Starwort. 
3. Aster ( Tripolium ) foiiis lanceolatis integerrimis car- 
nofis glabris ramis inaequatis, fioribus corymbofis. 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 872. Starwort with flmooth, flefhy, fpear- 
Jhaped leaves, which are entire , unequal branches, and 
flowers in a corymbus. After maritimus Tripolium 
didtus. Raii Hift. 270. 
4. Aster ( Linif alius ) foiiis linearibus acutis integerrimis, 
caule corymbofo ramofiffimo. Hort. Cliff. 408. Star- 
C c wort 
