of a fea-green colour, thefe leaves foon fall off, and 
the upper part of the branches are clofely covered 
with long rufh-like leaves having four angles, which 
come out in clutters from each joint. The flowers 
grow in fpreading umbels at the extremity of the 
branches, which are fmall and of an herbaceous co- 
lour, and are fucceeded by oblong channelled feeds. 
This fort is commonly propagated by cuttings, which 
readily take root, if they are planted in April in 
pots filled with light earth, and plunged into a mo- 
derate hot-bed, and when they have taken root, they 
fhould be inured to the open air by degrees, and af- 
ter they have obtained ftrength, may be planted each 
into a feparate pot filled with light loamy earth, 
placing them in the fhade, till they have taken frefli 
root, when they may be placed with other exotic 
plants in a flickered fituation, where they may remain 
till the autumn, when they mutt be removed into the 
green-houfe, and placed with fuch hardy plants as 
require a large lhare of air in mild weather, and only 
require a protection from froft. 
If this plant is propagated by feeds, they fhould be 
fown in the autumn, foon after they are ripe, in pots 
filled with light earth, which mutt be iheltered under 
a frame in winter, and in the fpring removed to a 
very gentle hot-bed, which will foon bring up the 
plants ; thefe mutt be inured to bear the open air by 
degrees, and then treated in the fame manner as thofe 
railed from cuttings. This plant flowers in July, and 
the feeds ripen in September. 
BUR MANN I A. Lin. Gen. 397. This genus was 
fo titled by Dr. Linnaeus, in honour to his friend Dr. 
Burman, profeflbr of botany at Amfterdam. 
The Characters are, 
it hath a cylindrical coloured empalement of one leaf \ having 
three longitudinal membranaceous angles , the flower hath 
three fmall oblong petals, fituated in the mouth of the em- 
palement , it hath fix fmall ftamina , the fummits are at 
the mouth of the empalement , tzvo at each ; the germen is 
cylindrical , half the length of the empalement , fupporting 
a fender fiyle the length of the corolla , having three obtufe 
concave fiigma : the empalement becomes a triangular cy- 
lindrical covering to the feeds , opening in three valves , 
having three cells filled with fmall feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft feCtion of 
Linnaeus’s iixth clafs, intitled Hexandria Monogynia, 
the flower having fix ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Burmannia ( Difticha ) fpica gemina. Burm. Zeyl. 
50. Burmannia with a double fpike of flowers. 
2. Burmannia ( Biflora ) flore gemino. Lin. Sp. 41 1. 
Burmannia with two flowers. Burmannia fcapo biflorae. 
Flor. Virg. 36. 
The firft fort grows naturally in Ceylon, in places 
covered with water moft part of the year, the root 
is compofed of many capillary fibres, from which 
come out fix or eight narrow fpear-lhaped leaves, 
near two inches long, which are entire. The flower- 
ftalk rifes a fpan high, garnifhed with five or fix 
narrow fpear-fhaped leaves which embrace it at their 
bafe *, the ftalk is terminated by a double fpike of 
flowers fpreading each way : thefe are garnilhed with 
fmall blue flowers, included in a fwelling fpatha, or 
flheath ; thefe have each three fliort petals, fix ftamina, 
and one ftyle •, and in its native foil, the empalement 
of the flower becomes a triangular cover to the 
feeds. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Virginia and Ca- 
rolina, in watery places, this hath a ftrong fibrous 
root, from which arife feveral oblong oval leaves, 
four or five inches long, which are fmooth and entire ; 
between thefe ariles the foot-ftalk of the flower, 
which is fix or eight inches high, terminated by fpikes 
of flowers, two growing in each fpatha or fheath •, 
thefe are blue, and in their native foil are fucceeded 
by fmall feeds inclofed in the triangular empale- 
ment. 
Thefe plants are very difficult to preferve in gardens ; 
■ for as they naturally grow in marftiy places, which 
are covered with water great part of the year, they 
will not thrive when planted in dry ground, and being 
too tender to live abroad in England, renders them 
very difficult to preferve ; therefore whoever is de- 
jfirous to have them, fhould plant them in pots, which 
fhould be plunged in troughs of water, fo deep as to 
cover the furface of the mould therein about three 
inches. Thofe troughs in which the firft fort is 
planted, fhould be placed in a warm ftove, where 
they fhould conftantly remain, being careful to fiipply 
the water as it may diminifh in the troughs from time 
to time. The troughs in which the fecond fort is 
put, fhould be placed in a green-houfe in winter to 
protect the plants from froft, but in fummer they 
may be expofed in the open air, with this manage- 
ment, if carefully attended to, the plants may be pre- 
ferved, and fometimes may be brought to produce 
flowers, 
BURNET. See Poterium and Sanguisorba. 
BURSA PASTORIS, Shepherds-pouch. This is 
a common weed in moft parts of England ; which 
propagates fo faft by feeds, as not to be eafily cleared 
when they are permitted to fhed 5 for there are com- 
monly four generations of this plant from feeds in 4 
year, fo faft does the feed ripen, and the plants com? 
up ; therefore it cannot be too foon or carefully rooted 
out of a garden. 
B U T O MU S, [BsV opov, of ( 3 s?, an ox, and rflm, to cut* 
fo called, becaufe the leaves of it are fo acute, that 
the tongue and lips of oxen, which are great lovers 
of this plant, are wounded by it, fo that the blood 
iffues forth : it is alfo called Juncus Florida, becaufo 
it has the leaves of a Rufh, and produces a fine 
bunch of flowers.] The Flowering-Rulh, or Water- 
Gladiole, 
The Characters are, 
The flowers grow in a fingle umbel , having a Jhort three 
leaved involucrum. The flower hath fix roundifh concave 
petals , which are alternately fmaller and more pointed, if 
hath nine awl-fhaped ftamina-, fix of which furround the 
other , and are terminated by double lamellated fummits 5 
it hath fix oblong pointed germen , fupporting a fingle 
ftigma ; the germen afterward become fix oblong pointed 
c apfules , having one cell filled with oblong feeds . 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third fe< 5 tion of 
Linnseus’s ninth clafs, intitled Enneandria Elexagy- 
nia, the flower having nine ftamina, and fix germen. 
We know but one Species of this genus, viz, 
Butomus ( Umbellatus ) PI, Lap. 1 59. The Flowering - 
Rufh, or W ater-Gladiole. Juncus florid 113 major, C. B, 
P. 1 12, Greater Flowering-Rufh. 
There are two varieties of this plant, one with a, 
rofe coloured flower, and the other with a white, but 
thefe are only accidental variations, therefore not to 
be enumerated as diftintit lpecies, 
The Role coloured fort is pretty common in Handing 
waters, in many parts of England ; the other is a 
variety of this, though lefs common with us near 
London. Thefe plants may be propagated in boggy 
places, or by planting them in citterns, which fhould 
be kept filled with water, that fhould have about a 
foot thicknefs of earth in the bottom, into which the 
roots fhould be planted, or the feed lbwn as foon as 
they are ripe; thefe, though common plants, yet 
produce very pretty flowers, and are worth propa- 
gating for variety, efpecially if in any part of the 
garden there fhould be conveniency for an artificial 
bog, or where there are ponds of {landing water, as 
is many times the cafe, and perfons are at a lofs what 
to plant in fuch places, that may appear beautiful 5 
whereas, il thefe, and a few more wild plants, which 
naturally grow in fuch places, were taken into th@ 
garden, they would have a very good effect in diver- 
fifying the feveral parts thereof. 
There is another fpecies, or at leaft a variety, of this 
plant, which is found growing near London, inter- 
mixed with the common fort, but not half fo large 
either in leaf, ftalk, or flower ; but in other refpeds 
fo like it, as to render it very difficult to be diftim 
guifhed from it, for which reafon I have not enume- 
rated it ; though many of the plants fettled in the 
