AST 
ATM 
to become almoft heart-fhaped ; the flowers are pro- 
duced at the wings of the ftalks in fhort loofe fpikes ; 
they are almoft white, and are fucceeded by fickle - 
fhaped pods, having two cells filled with fquare brown 
feeds. This flowers in July and Auguft, and the 
feeds ripen in autumn. 
This is propagated by feeds, which fhouid be fown 
in the fpring upon an open bed of light earth, and 
the plants treated afterward in the fame manner as 
hath been directed for the annual forts before-men- 
tioned. 
ASTRANTIA, Mafterwort. 
The Characters are. 
It is a plant whofe flowers grow in an umbel ^ the gene- 
ral umbel is compofed of four or five flmall ones. The in- 
volucrum of the general umbel is in one fpecies compofed of 
two large trifid leaves , and two entire. In another fpecies 
of fever al fmall leaves : the involucrum of the fmall um- 
bel is compofed of many fmall pointed leaves , which are 
longer than the umbels , coloured and fpread open. The 
empalernent of the flower is permanent , erebl , and cut into 
five fioort acute fegments the flower is compofed of five 
petals , which are erebl , bifid , and bend inward : it hath 
five ftamina the length of the petals , crowned by Jingle 
fummits ; the oblong germen is fituated below the recepta- 
cle , fupporting two fender flyles , crowned by fpreading 
Jligma *, the germen afterward becomes an oval , blunt , 
channelled fruit , divided into two parts , having two ob- 
long oval feeds, inclofed in the cover. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond feftion 
of Linnteus’s fifth clafs, entitled Pentandria Digynia, 
the flower having five ftamina and two ftyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Astrantia {Major) foliis radicalibus quinquelobatis 
ferratis, caulinis trilobatis acutis. Mafterwort with 
the lower leaves divided into five flawed lobes , and thofe 
on the ftalks cut into three acute lobes. Aftrantia major 
corona floris purpurafcente. Inft. R. H. 314. 
2. Astr.antia ( Candida ) foliis quinquelobatis lobis tri- 
partite. Haller. Helv. 439. Mafterwort with leaves 
having five tripartite lobes. Aftrantia major corona 
floris Candida. Tourn. Inft. 314. 
3. Ajtrantia {Minor) foliis digitatis .ferratis. Lin. Sp. 
Plant. 2 55. Mafterwort with fingered leaves which are 
flawed. Helleborus niger faniculs folio minor. C. B. P. 
186. 
The firft fort hath many fpreading leaves rifling from 
the root, which are compofed of five large lobes, 
fawed pretty deep on their edges •, from between thefe 
the ftalks arife near two feet high, having at each 
joint ,one leaf deeply cut into three fharp-pointed 
lobes ; at the top of the ftalk is produced the umbel 
of flowers, at the bottom of which is fituated the ge- 
neral involucrum, compofed of two long trifid leaves, 
and two entire ones of the fame length. The fmall 
umbels ftand upon long foot-ftalks or rays, under 
which is placed the involucrum, compofed of many 
fpear-fhaped pointed leaves, which extend beyond 
the rays, and are of a purplifh colour. 
The fecond fort hath much the appearance of the 
firft, fo has been fuppofed to be, only a variety of it ; 
but it differs from that in having five lobes to the 
leaves of the ftalks, which are much fhorter, and 
rounder at the point than thofe of the other. The 
general involucrum of the umbel is compofed of 
fhort narrow leaves, and thofe of the fmaller umbels 
are fhorter and white. 
The third fort feldom rifes a foot high ; the foot- 
ftalks of the leaves are four inches long •, the leaves 
are divided into eight fegments at the bottom, and 
fpread out like a hand ; thefe are deeply fawed on 
their edges ; the involucrum of the general umbel is 
compofed of feveral very narrow leaves ; the foot- 
ftalks of the feparate umbels are very large and flen- 
der, and toward the top often divide into three, each 
having a fmall umbel. The involucrums of thefe 
fmall umbels are fhort and white. 
Thefe plants are very hardy ; they may be propa- 
gated either by fowing their feeds, or parting their 
roots. If they are propagated feeds, they fhouid 
be fown in ailtumn, foon after they are ripe, dn a 
fhady border and, when the plants are come up, 
they fhouid be carefully weeded, and where they are 
too ciofe, feme of the plants fhouid be drawn out, to 
allow room for others to grow, until Michaelmas, 
when they fhouid be tranfplanted where they are to 
remain , which fhouid always be in a moift foil and 
a ftiady fituatioff. The diftance thefe plants fhouid 
be placed, is three feet, for their roots will fpread to 
a confiderable width, if they are permitted to remain 
long in the fame place. They require no other cul- 
ture but to keep them clear from weeds, and every 
third or fourth year to be taken up at Michaelmas, 
and their roots parted and planted again. Thefe plants 
are feldom preferved but in botanic gardens, there 
being no great beauty in their flowers. They all 
grow naturally upon the Alps. 
A TH AM ANT A. Lin. Gen. Plant. 301. Meum. 
Mourn. Inft. R. H. 312. Spignel. 
The Characters are, 
It is a plant with an umbellate d flower ; the general um- 
bel fpr eads open , and is compofed of many fmall ones-, the 
involucrum of the great umbel is compofed of many narrow 
leaves , which are fhorter than the rays thofe of the fmall 
ones are narrow, and equal with the rays: the flowers 
of the great umbel are uniform ■, thofe of the fmaller have 
five infiexed heart -ft: aped petals, which are a little unequal ; 
each flower hath five fender ftamina, which are of the 
fame length with the petals, and crowned by roundifh 
fummits the germen is fituated below the receptacle , 
fupporting two reflexed ftyles, 'crowned by obtufie Jligma 
the germen afterward becomes an oblong channelled fruit, 
divided into two parts, each containing one oval channelled 
feed. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond feftion 
of Linnaeus’s fifth dais of plants, entitled Pentan- 
dria Digynia, the flowers having five ftamina and two 
ftyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Athamanta {Meum) foliolis capillaribus, femini- 
bus glabris ftriatis. Plort. Cliff. 93. Spignel with hair - 
like leaves , and fimooth channelled feeds. Meum foliis 
Anethi. C. B. P. 148. commonly called Spignel. 
2. Athamanta {Cretmfis) foliolis linearibus planis hir- 
futis, petalis bipartitis, ieminibus Gbiongis hirfutis. 
Lin. Mat. Med. 143. Spignel with plain hairy leaves, 
petals divided into two parts, and oblong hairy feeds. Dau- 
cus Creticus foliis fasniculi tenuiftimis. C. B. P. 
3. Athamanta {Simla) foliis inferioribus nitidis, um- 
bellis primordialibus fubfeflilibus, femirt&us pilofis. 
Hort. Upfal. 60. Spignel with J, hiring under leaves , the 
umbels at firft fitting ciofe , and hairy feeds. Daucus fe- 
cundus ficulis fop bias folio. Zan. Hift. 80. 
4. Athamanta {Oreofelinim) foliolis divaricatis. Flor. 
Suec. 249. Athamanta with divaricated leaves. Apium 
montanum folio ampliore. C. B. P. 153. 
5. Athamanta {Cervaria) foliolis pinnatis decuffatis, 
incilo-angulatis, ieminibus nudis. Lin. Sp. 352. A- 
thamanta with winged leaves, whofe lobes are angularly 
cut,' and naked feeds. Daucus rnontanus Apii folio 
major. C. B. P. 150. 
i he fiift fort is the common Spignel ufed in medi- 
cine^ This grows naturally in Weftmorelahd, and 
by the inhabitants there is called Bald-Money, or 
Bawd-Money ; by feme it is called Men. This is a 
perennial plant ; the ftalks rife a foot and a half high, 
and are channelled ; the leaves are very ramofe, and 
compoied of many fine hair-like leaves fet pretty ciofe, 
of a deep green ; the ftalk is terminated by an umbel 
of white flowers, which are fucceeded by oblong: 
fmooth feeds. 
i his may be propagated by parting the roots at 
Michaelmas, or from feeds fown foon after they are 
ripe •, the plants fhouid have a fhady fituation and 
moift foil. It flowers in June, and the feeds ripen in 
Auguft. 
The fecond fort is the Daucus Creticus, of which 
there are two forts, whole feeds are indifferently ufed 
in the fliops, one of which is annual, but that here 
mentioned is a perennial plant, which fends out many 
E e ftalks. 
