- A T R 
proves favourable; then fhould be removed either 
into a green-houfe, or a glafs cafe, where they may 
enjoy as much free air as poffible, but fecured from 
froft, with which management they will thrive and 
produce plenty of flowers; but where they are drawn 
weak in winter, they will not appear lightly. 
The fifth fort is an annual plant, which grows na- 
turally in Africa. This hath an herbaceous ftalk 
about nine inches high, which divides toward the top 
into three or four branches, garnifhed with fmooth 
leaves, divided into fegments like thofe of Bucks- 
horn Plantain; the flowers are large, of a bright yellow 
colour, and are produced at the extremity of the 
branches in a compaft Ample corymbus; thefe ap- 
pear in July and Auguft, but are rarely fucceeded 
by ripe feeds in this country. 
This is propagated by feeds when they can be ob- 
tained good, which fhould be fown on a moderate 
hot-bed the latter end of March ; when the plants are 
come up they fhould have air in proportion to the 
warmth of the feafon admitted to them, to prevent 
their drawing up weak ; and fo foon as they are big 
enough to remove they fhould be tranfplanted on 
another gentle hot-bed, at three inchesdi ftance, obfer- 
ving to fhade them until they have got frefh root; after 
which they muft have air and water, and by the end 
of May, the plants will have acquired ftrength enough 
to be tranfplanted into the open air ; when feme may 
be planted in pots to place among other exotic plants 
in fummer, and the others into warm borders, where 
they will flower all the autumn, but unlefs the feafon 
is very warm, they will not ripen feeds. 
The flxth fort grows naturally on the lea coafts in 
the warm parts of Europe, and alfo in fome parts of 
Wales, from whence I have received plants. The 
ftalks trail on the ground, feldom growing more than 
feven or eight inches long, garnifhed clofely with 
woolly leaves, which are fpear-fhaped, entire, and ob- 
tufe ; the flowers are of a bright yellow, each pro- 
duced on a Angle foot-ftalk, forming a kind of co- 
rymbus ; they appear in June and July, but rarely 
ripen feeds in the garden. 
This may be propagated by planting flips or cuttings 
during the fummer months, in the fame way as the 
African forts ; fome of the plants fhould be put into 
pots to be placed under a hot-bed frame in winter, 
the other may be planted in a warm border, where if 
the winter proves favourable they will live, but they 
rarely furvive cold winters. 
ATMOSPHERE [ofWyk, a vapour, and fyouga,, 
Gr. a fphere] is an appendage of the earth, which 
confifts of a thin, fluid, elaftic fubftance, called air, 
furrounding the terraqueous globe to a conflderable 
height. 
The whole mafs, or aflemblage of ambient air, is 
commonly underftood to be the atmofphere. 
But the more accurate writers reftrain the term at- 
mofphere to that part of the air which is next to the 
earthj which receives the vapours and exhalations, 
and which is terminated by the refraftion of the light 
of the fun. 
Thofe fpaces that are higher,' and beyond thefe, are 
called sether ; and, being fuppofed to be pofiefled by 
a finer fubftance, are called the asthereal regions, tho’ 
thefe, perhaps, are not deftitute of air. 
This atmofphere infinuates itfelf into all the vacuities 
of bodies, and by that means becomes the great 
fpring of rnoft of the mutations here below, as ge- 
neration, corruption, diffolution of vegetables, &c. 
to the preflure of the atmofphere, plants owe their 
vegetation, as well as animals do their refpiration, 
circulation, and nutrition. 
ATRACTYLIS. Lin. Gen. Plant. 837. Diftaff 
Thiftle. 
The Characters are, 
It hath a radiated compound flower , compofed of many 
hermaphrodite florets, which are included in a common 
flcaly unarmed empalement. This hath a permanent invo- 
lucrim , compofed cf feveral narrow plain leaves, which 
have jharp fpines on their flies. The hermaphrodite florets 
A T R 
which compofle the rays , or border , "are ftretched Gift on 
one Jide like a -tongue, and are Jlightly indented in five parts, 
Thofe which compofe the diflk , or middle , are flunnel-floaped, 
cut at the top into five parts ; thefe have both five fiender 
ftamina in each, which are flhort, and crowned by cylin- 
drical fimmits ; in thofe of the diflk is flituated a flhort 
crowned germen, fupporiing a fiender ftyle, crowned by a 
bifid ftigm'a. The germen afterward becomes a turbinated 
compreflfed feed, crowned with a plume of down , flhut up 
in the empalement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft feftion of 
Linnaeus’s feven teerith clafs, entitled Syngenefia Po- 
lygamia fE qualis, from the florets of the border and 
diik being hermaphrodite. 
The Species are, 
1. Atractylis ( Cancellated) involticris cancellatis ven- 
tricofis, .linearibus dentatis calycibus ovatis, floribus 
flofculoiis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 830. Diftaff Thiftle with a 
bellied netted involucrum , an oval, indented, linear em- 
palement, and jlofculdus flowers. Crficus exiguus capite 
cancellato femine tomentofo. Tourn. Inft. R. EL 
2. Atractylis ( Hurnilis ) folks dentato-fmuatis,. flore 
radiato obvallato involucro patente, caule herbaceo. 
Lin. Sp. Plant. 829. Diftaff Thiftle with finuated in- 
dented leaves, a radiated ftezver ftrongly guarded by its 
fpreading involucrum, and an herbaceous ftalk. Cnicus 
aculeatus purpureus humilior. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 
45 
3. Atractylis ( Gurnmifera ) flore acau'le. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
829. Diftaff Tkftle with a flower without a ftalk. Cnicus 
Carlinae folio acaulos gummifer aculeatus. Tourn. 
Cor. 33. 
The firft fort grows naturally in . Spain, Sicily-, and 
other warm parts of Europe. This is an annual plant 
which feldom riles more than eight or nine inches 
- high, with a fiender ftern, thinly garniflied with nar- 
row hoary leaves, having fpin,es on their edges ; at 
the top of the ftalk there are two or three fiender 
branches fent out, each being terminated by a head 
of flowers, like thofe of the Thiftle, with an invo- 
lucrum compofed of feveral narrow leaves, armed 
with fpines on their fide, which are longer than the 
head of flowers. The empalement is curibufly netted 
over, and is narrow at the top, but fwelling below, 
containing many florets of a purplifh colour. Thefe 
are each fucceeded by a Angle downy feed ; it flow- 
ers in July, and, if the feafon be warm and dry, it 
will ripen its feeds in September, but in cold years 
never perfects feeds here. 
It is propagated by feeds, which muft be fown upon 
an open bed of light earth, where the plants are to 
remain, and . will require no other care but to keep 
them clean from weeds, and thin the plants where 
they come up too clofe together. 
The fecond fort rifes with a ftalk near a foot high, 
which is garniflied with indented leaves, having fmall 
fpines on their edges ; the upper part of the ftalk is 
divided into two or three fiender branches, each ftip- 
porting a head of purple flowers, having rays in the 
border, and florets in the diik, inclofed in a fcaly em- 
palement. The roots of this will live two or three 
years ; it flowers in June, but unlefs the fummer is 
warm and dry, it will not perfect feeds in England.. 
The feeds of this fort fhould be fown where they are 
to remain, and will require no other culture than the 
former. It grows naturally about Madrid, from 
whence I received the feeds. 
The third fort grows naturally in Italy, and the iflands 
of the Archipelago, and is what the College of Phy- 
ficians have placed among the medicinal fimples, by 
the title of Carline Thiftle ; the root of this is per- 
ennial, and fends out many narrow leaves, which 
are deeply finuated, and armed with fpines on their 
edges. Thefe lie clofe on the ground, and between 
them the flower is fituated, without ftalk, having 
many florets, inclofed in a prickly empalement. Thofe 
on the border are white, but thofe which compofe the 
diik. are of a yellowiili colour. It flowers in July, but 
never perfects feeds in England. 
St 
