BON 
The S'PSECl-E§ are, 
1. Bontia. ( Daphnoides .) Lin* Sp. Plant. Barbadoes Wild 
Olive. . Bontia arborefcens thymelaafe facie. Plum. 
Nov. Gen. 32. 
2. Bontia ( Germinans ) foliis oppofttis, pedunculis fpi- 
catis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 891. Bontia with leaves growing 
oppoftie , and fpiked foot-Jlalks of flowers. Avicennia. 
Flor. Zeyl. 57. 
The firft fort is greatly cultivated in the gardens at 
Barbadoes, for making of hedges, than which there is 
not a more proper plant for thofe hot countries, it be- 
ing an Evergreen, and of quick growth. I have been 
informed, that from cuttings (planted in the rainy 
feafon, when they have immediately taken root) there 
has been a complete hedge, four or five feet high, in 
eighteen months. And as this will very well bear 
cutting, it is formed into a very clofe thick hedge, 
which makes a beautiful appearance. In England it 
is preferred in ftoves, with feveral curious plants of 
the fame country. It may be raifed from feeds, which 
Hi 011 Id be fown on a hot-bed early in the fpring (that 
the plants may acquire ftrength before winter.) When 
the plants are come up, they mull be tranfplanted 
out each into a feparate half-penny pot filled with 
light freih earth, and plunged into a moderate hot- 
bed of tanners bark, obferving to water and fhade 
them until they have taken root ; after which they 
mull: have a large lhare of air in warm weather, and 
be often refrelhed with water. In winter they muft 
be placed in the ftove, where they fhould have a mo- 
derate degree of warmth, and but little water during 
that feafon. In fummer they muft have a great lhare 
of air, but will not do well if expofed abroad, efpe- 
cially in -cold fummers ; fo that they fhould remain 
in the ftove among plants which require a great lhare 
of air, which may be admitted by opening the glaffes 
in very hot weather. With this management, thefe 
plants will produce flowers and fruit in three or four 
years from feed. They may alfo be propagated by 
cuttings, which fhould be planted in the fummer. 
They muft be put into pots filled with light rich 
earth, and plunged into a moderate hot-bed, obferv- 
ing to water and lhade them until they have taken 
root •, after which they muft be treated as hath been 
directed for the feedling plants. Thefe plants being 
evergreen, and growing in a pyramidal form, make 
_ a pretty variety in the ftove amongft other exotic 
plants. 
The fecond fort is fuppofed to be the Anacardium 
Orientale ; but whether this is the true fort, I cannot 
' determine, having feen only the feeds of that plant, 
which are frequently brought to Europe for marking 
nuts ; and thofe have been too old to grow, fo I 
cannot take upon me to determine how far Mr. Jac- 
quin is right. 
BONUS HENRICUS. See Chenopodium. 
B O R B O N I A. Lin. Gen. Plant. 764. 
The Characters are, 
It hath a turbinated empalement of one leaf, \ cut at the 
top into five acute fegments , which are ft iff, pungent , and 
about half the length of the petals. I he flotver hath five 
leaves , and is of the butterfly Jhape. The ftandard is 
cbtufe and reflexed. 'The wings are heart-Jhaped and floor ter 
than the Jiandard. The keel hath obtufe lunulated leaves. 
It hath nine ft amina joined in a cylinder , and one upper 
ftanding Jingle , turning up its point. Thefe have fmall 
fmnmits. In the center is Jituated an awl-fhaped germen , 
fupporting a floortftyle , crowned by an obtufe indented ftig- 
ma. The germen afterward becomes a round pointed pod 
terminated with a fpine , having one cell . , incloflmg a kid- 
ney -Jhaped feed. 
This genus of Wants is ranged in the third order of 
Linnaeus’s feventeenth clafs, intitled Diadelphia De- 
candria, the flower having ten ftarnina, nine of which 
are joined, and the other ftands feoarate. 
The Species are, 
1. Borbonia ( Lanceolata ) foliis lanceolatis multinerviis 
integerrimis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 707. Borbonia with en- 
tire fp ear- Jhaped leaves having many nerves. Genifta A- 
fricana. frutefcens rufci nervolis foliis. Raii Hift. 3. 
107. 6 
BON 
2. Borbonia ( Cor data ) foliis cdrdatis mnltlirerviL inte- 
gerfimis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 737. Borbonia with entire 
heart-Jhaped leaves having many nerves. Spartium A~ 
fricanum frutefcens rufci folio caulem arnplexante. 
Com. Hort. Amft. 2. 195. 
3. Borbonia ( Trinefvia ) foliis lanceolatis trinerviis in- 
tegerrimis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 707. Borbonia with entire 
fpear-flsaped leaves , having three veins. 
Thefe plants grow naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope, from whence I received their feeds. In the 
natural place of their growth, they rife to the height 
of ten or twelve feet ; but in Europe they feldom are 
more than four or five, having flender Items di- 
vided into feveral branches, which are gamifhed with 
ftiff leaves, placed alternately ; thofe of the firft fort 
are narrow, long, and end in a ftiarp point. The 
flowers come out from between the leaves at the end 
of the branches in fmall duffers ; thefe are yellow, 
and fhaped like thofe of the Broom. It flowers in 
Auguft and September, but doth not perfect feeds 
in England. 
The fecond fort hath broader leaves than the firft: 
the ftalks of this are flender, covered with white bark. 
The leaves embrace thefe at their bafe, where they 
are broadeft, and are terminated by fharp points like 
thofe of Kneeholm, or Butchers Broom. The flowers 
are produced in fmall clufters at the end of the 
branches, which are the fame fliape and colour as 
thofe of the former, but larger. This flowers at the 
fame time with the former, but never produces feeds 
here. 
The third fort hath ftronger ftalks than either of the 
former, garnifhed almoft their whole length, as are 
alfo the branches with ftiff fpear-fhaped leaves, hav- 
ing three longitudinal nerves on each ; thefe are 
placed clofer together than thofe of the other fpecies. 
The floWers are produced at the extremity of the 
branches, each ftanding on a feparate foot-ftalk: 
they are of the fame fhape and colour with the for- 
mer, but larger. 
As thefe plants .do not perfect their feeds in this 
country, they are with difficulty propagated here. 
The only method by v/hich I have yet fucceeded, 
hath been by laying down their young fhoots ; but 
thefe are commonly two years before they put out 
roots fit to be feparated from the old plant. In lay- 
ing of thefe down, the joint which is laid in the 
ground fhould be flit upward, as is praftifed in lay- 
ing Carnations, and the bark of the tongue at bottom 
taken off. The beft time to lay thefe down, is in 
the beginning of September ; and the fhoots moft . 
proper for this purpofe, are thofe which come out 
immediately, or very near the root, and are of the 
fame year’s growth, not only from their fltuation be- 
ing near the ground, and thereby better adapted for 
laying, but thefe are alfo more apt to put out roo'ts 
than any of the upper branches. 
But where good feeds can be procured, that is the 
more eligible method of propagating the plants ; for 
thofe raifed from the feeds make the ftraiteft plants, 
and are quicker of growth. When good feeds are 
obtained, they fhould be fown in pots filled with light 
loamy earth, as foon as they are received; which, if 
it happens in the autumn, the pots fhould be plunged 
into an old bed of tanners bark, under a frame, where 
they may remain all the winter, being cafeful that 
they are fecured from froft, and have not much wet. 
In the fpring, the pots fhould be plunged into a hot- 
bed, which will bring up the plants in five or fix 
weeks. When thefe are fit to remove, they fhould 
be each planted into a feparate fmall pot, filled with 
the like loamy earth, and plunged into a moderate 
hot-bed, obferving to fnade them until they have 
taken frefh root, as alfo to refrefh them with water, 
as they may require it. After this they muft by de- 
grees be inured to the open air, into which they fhould 
be removed in June, and placed in a flickered flota- 
tion, where they may remain till autumn, when they 
muft be removed into the green-houfe, and placed 
“where they may enjoy the air and Tub ; during the 
4 winter 
