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The Characters are, 
it hath a /mail permanent empalement , which is divided 
into jive parts ; the floiver hath hut one petal , which is 
cut into five ohtufie fegments , which fipread open ; it 
jfif c ftamina , which fipread from each other, and are ter- 
minated by Jingle fummits •, zk hath a conical ger men, with- 
out a ftyle, fupporting three reflexed ftigma. The germen 
afterward becomes an umbilicated berry with three cells, 
each containing a jingle feed. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third fedtion 
of Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, intitled, Pentandria Tri- 
gynia, the flower having five ftamina, and three 
ftigma. 
The Species are, 
1. Cassine (Cory mb of a) foliis ovato-lanceolatis, ferratis, 
oppofitis, floribus corymbofis axillaribus. Fig. PI. 
plat. 83. f. 1. Cafline with oval fipear-jhaped leaves 
placed oppofite, and florfirs growing in round bunches from 
the fides of the branches. Caffine vera perquam fimi- 
lis, arbufcula, Phillyreae folds antagoniftis, ex Pro- 
vincia ■ Carolinienfi. Pluk. Mant. 40. The Cajfloberry 
Buflo. 
2. Cassine ( Paragua ) foliis lanceolatis alternis femper- 
virentibus, floribus axillaribus. Fig. pi. Plat. 83. f. 2. 
Caffine with evergreen fpear-floaped leaves placed alter- 
nately, and flowers proceeding from the fides of the 
branches. Cafline vera Floridanorum, arbufcula bac- 
cifera, Alaterni ferme facie, foliis alternatim fitis 
tetrapyrene. Pluk. 1 Mant. 40. Evergreen Cafline , Ta- 
per, or South-Sea Thea. 
3. Cassine ( Oppofitifolia ) foliis ovatis acutis glabris, 
floribus axillaribus fparfls. Cafline with oval acute leaves 
placed oppofite, and flowers coming from the wings of the 
Jlalks , commonly called Hyffon Tea. 
The 'firft fort rifes with two or three ftems, which 
fend out many fide branches their whole length, ’ and 
become bulky ; thefe feldom rife more than eight or 
nine feet high. The branches are garniflied with oval 
fpear-fliaped leaves, lawed on their edges, which 
grow oppoflte. Toward the upper part of the 
branches the flowers come out from the fides, grow- 
ing in roundifn bunches ; thefe are white, and are 
divided into five parts almoft to the bottom ; in their 
center is placed the germen, attended by five ftamina, 
which fpread open, near as much as the fegments of 
the petal. After the flower is paft, the germen fwells 
to a round berry, having three cells, each containing 
a Angle feed. This is by Dr. Linnaeus fuppofed to 
be the fame plant as the Phillyrea Capenfis folio ce- 
laftri. Hort. Elth. But thofe who know both the 
plants, can have no doubt of their being different. 
The Caffine here mentioned drops its leaves in .au- 
tumn, whereas that Phillyrea is evergreen; the former 
lives abroad in the open air, but the latter can fcarce 
be kept through the winter in a green-houfe, without 
artificial heat ; nor have the plants the fame appear- 
ance, and withal differ effentially, according to his 
own fyftem, in the number of ftamina, which removes 
them to different dalles. 
The firft fort has been pretty common in the nur- 
feries near London fome years, where it is propagated 
by laying down the branches, which afford fhoots in 
plenty for that purpofe from the root, and lower part 
of the item, fo as to become very buflhy and thick, 
if they are not cut off • there are numbers of thefe 
ftirubs which produce flowers in England every year, 
but none of them ripen their feeds. 
The leaves of this plant are extremely bitter, fo that 
if a Angle one is chewed, the bitternefs cannot be 
gotten rid of in a long time. Thefe leaves will con- 
tinue green very late in autumn, if the feafon proves 
mild, and they come out early in the fpr’mg, but 
are frequently pinched by the froft in March, 
when they appear fo foon. This fiirub flowers in 
July and Auguft. It grows naturally in Virginia and 
Carolina. 
It loves a light foil, not too dry, and fhould have a 
warm fltuation ; for, in expofed places, the young 
jffioots are frequently, killed in the winter, whereby 
the ftirubs are rendered unlightly; but where they are 
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near the fhelter of trees, or walls, they are very rarely 
hurt. J 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Carolina, and alfo 
in feme warm parts or Virginia, but chiefly near the 
fea ; this, in the natural places of its growth, rifes to 
the height of ten or twelve feet, fending out branches 
from the ground upward, which form themfelves 
into a fort of pyramid, garniflied with fpear-fliaped 
leaves, placed alternately ; thefe are in texture and 
colour like thofe of Alaternus, and continue green 
through the year. The flowers are produced in clofe 
whorls round the branches, at the foot-ftalks of the 
leaves ; they are white, and of the fame ftiape as the 
former ; thefe are fucceeded by red berries, like thofe 
of the former fort. 
Dr. Linnaeus has feparated this from the clafs in 
which he has placed the other, and has joined it to 
the Dahoon Holly, fuppofing them to be the fame 
plant ; in which he is equally miftaken, for they not 
only differ in the ftiape of their leaves, but alfo in 
their effential characters ; for the Dahoon Holly mull, 
according to his fyftem, be ranged in his twenty- 
fecond clafs, and the Caffine muft be ranged in his 
fifth. 
This plant was many years preferved in feveral cu- 
rious gardens near London, till the fevere winter in 
I 739 -> when moft of them were deftroyed, fo that 
there was fcarce any left ; but of late years there have 
been many of the young plants railed from feeds, 
which came from Carolina, fome of which have been 
growing in the full ground feveral years, and have 
refilled the cold of the winters, without covering ; 
though they often fuffer in very cold feafons, where 
they are not very well Iheltered. If this plant can 
be brought to thrive well in England, and to endure 
the winter in the open air, it will be a fine plant, 
to make a variety in plantations of Evergreen-trees. 
The leaves of this fort are not fo bitter as thofe of 
the firft, efpecially when green, therefore are preferred 
to them for making the Thea ; but an infufion of the 
leaves of the firft, has been taken for a lofs of appe- 
tite by fome perfons with good fuccefs ; but it muft 
not be too ftrong, left it fhould prove emetic or ca- 
thartic. 
The inhabitants of North Carolina and Virginia, 
where this fhrub grows in plenty, give it the title 
of Yapon, which I fuppofe to be the Indian name; 
for, as it is a plant much efteemed by the Indians for 
its medicinal virtues, they certainly have a name for 
it ; this grows to the height of ten or twelve feet ; 
the leaves are about the fize and ftiape of thofe of 
the fmall leaved Alaternus, but are fomewhat fhorter, 
and a little broader at their bale ; they are a little 
notched about their edges, and are of a thick fub- 
ftance, and deep green colour; the flowers of this 
fort are produced at the joints near the foot-ftalk of 
the leaves, but the Caffioberry Bufh produces its 
flowers in umbels at the extremity of the flioots ; the 
berries of this Yapon continue upon the plants moft 
part of the winter, and, being of a bright red colour, 
intermixed with the green leaves, make a fine ap- 
pearance at that feafen. From thefe berries con- 
tinuing fo long untouched by the birds, we may 
reafonably conclude, they have fome venomous 
quality, becaufe few of the fruits, or berries, which 
are wholefome, efcape the birds, in a country where 
there are fuch flocks of many kinds of them. 
Thefe ftirubs are propagated by fowing their feeds 
(which are obtained from Carolina, where they grow 
in great plenty near the fea-coafts ;) they fhould be 
fow'n in pots filled with light fandy earth, and plunged 
into a gentle hot-bed, dbferving to water them fre- 
quently, until you fee the plants appear, which is 
fometimes in five or fix weeks time, and at other 
times they will remain in the ground until the fecond 
year ; therefore, if the plants fhould not come up in 
two months time, you fhould remove the pots into 
a fhady fltuation, where they may remain till (Adobe r, 
being careful to keep them, clean from weeds, and 
now and then in dry weather giving them a little 
. - water; 
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