tVc have but one Species of this plant in the Eng- 
lifh gardens, viz. 
Chionanthus pedunculis trifidis trifloris. Lin. Sp. 
Plant. 8. Snowdrop-tret, or Fringe-tree , • with tfifid 
foot-Jialks J, up-porting three flowers. Amelanchier Vir- 
giniana laurocerafi folio. Pet. Hof. Sicc. 241. Virgi- 
nia Amelanchier with a Laurel leafl. 
This fhrub is common in South Carolina, where it 
grows by the fide of rivulets, and feldom is more 
than ten feet high : the leaves are as large as thofe of 
the Laurel, but are of a much thinner fubftance * 
the flowers come out in May, hanging in long 
bunches, and are of a pure white, from whence the 
inhabitants call it Snowdrop-tree * and, from the 
flowers being cut into narrow fegments, they give 
it the name of Fringe-tree. After the flowers have 
fallen away, the fruit appears, which becomes a 
black berry* about the fize of Sloes, having one hard 
feed in each. 
This tree is now more common in the curious gar- 
dens in England, than it was a few years fince * there 
having been many young plants raifed from the feeds, 
which have been brought from- America lately : there 
Irave alfo been fome plants propagated by layers, 
though there is great uncertainty of their taking root, 
which they feldom do in lefs than two years * nor 
will they ever take root, unlefs they are well fupplied 
with water in dry weather. 
The beft way to obtain good plants, is from the 
feeds, which mull be procured from America, for 
they never have produced any fruit in this country. 
The feeds fhould be fown in fmall pots filled with 
■ frefh loamy earth foon after they arrive, and fhould 
be placed under a hot-bed frame, where they may 
remain till the beginning of May, when they muft be 
removed to a fituation expoled to the morning fun, 
and fereened from the fun in the middle of the day. 
In dry weather the pots muft be watered, ,and kept 
clean from weeds * for as thefe feeds lie in the ground 
a whole year before the plants will come up, they 
fhould not be expofed to the fun the firft fummer, but 
tlie following autumn they fhould be removed, and 
placed under a frame, to proted the feeds from be- 
ing injured by the froft ; and if the po-ts are plunged 
into a moderate hot-bed the beginning of March, it 
will bring up thd plants much fooner than they will 
otherwife rife 5 by which means they will get more 
ftrength the firft fummer, and be better able to refift 
the cold of tlie next winter. While thefe plants are 
very young, they will be in danger of fuffering by 
fevere froft -, but when they have obtained ftrength, 
they will refift the greateft cold of our climate in the 
open air ; therefore for the two or three firft winters, 
it will be proper to keep them under fhelter * fo that 
the young plants may remain in the feed-pots all the 
firft fummer, and the following winter * and in the 
fpring before they begin to fhoot, they fhould be 
fhaken out of the pots, and carefully feparated fo as 
not to break off their roots, and each planted in a 
fmall pot filled with light loamy foil, and plunged 
into a very moderate hot-bed, juft to forward their 
taking frefh root * then they fhould be gradually 
inured to the open air, and during the following fum- 
mer, the pots fhould be plunged into the ground, to 
prevent the earth from drying, in a fituation where 
they may enjoy the morning fun, but fereened from 
the great heat at noon. During the fummer feafon, 
they will require to be frequently watered, and kept 
clean from weeds. The autumn following, they 
fhould be again placed under a hot-bed frame to 
fereen them from froft •, but they fhould enjoy the 
free air at all times, when the weather is mild. The 
■April following, the plants may be fhaken out of the 
pots, with the ball of earth to their roots, and planted 
where they are deftgned to remain. 
This fhrub delights in a moift, foft, loamy foil, and 
if it is planted in a fheltered fituation, will endure 
the cold of our winters very well in the open air ; but 
in dry land it is very fubjed to decay in warm 
feafons. 
In the places where this fhrub grows naturally, if 
produces great quantities of flowers, fo that they 
leem covered with fnow, which gave occafion to the 
inhabitants for titling it Snowdrop-tree •, but in Eng- 
land the flowers are feldom fo numerous, fo do not 
make fo good an appearance. 
CHIRONIA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 227. 
The Characters are* 
The flower hath a permanent empalement of one leaf., 
cut into five oblong fegments : it hath one petal , with a 
roundijh tube 3 the fize of the empalement , divided into 
five equal parts above , which fipread open : it hath five 
floor t broad ftamina , which are j aft ened to the top of the 
tube , and are terminated by large oblong fiummits , which 
join together , and after the flowers drop are fpirally twift- 
ed. It hath an oval germen , fituated in the center , 
fupporting a fender declining flyle , crowned by a rifling 
ftigma in form of a head. The germen afterward becomes 
an oval capfule with two cells , filled with fmall j'eeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion of 
Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, intitled Pentandria Monogynia, 
the flower having five ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Chironia frutefeens, capfulifera. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
190. Shrubby Chironia bearing capfules. Cerrtauri- 
um minus Afrieanum, arborefeens, latifolium, flore 
ruberrimo. Com. Rar. PI. 8. tab. 8. Lejfer Tree-like 
African Centaury , with a broad leaf and a very red 
flower ; 
2. Chironia frutefeens baccifera. Lin. Sp. Plant.- 
190. Shrubby berry-bearing Chironia. Centaurium 
minus arborefeens pulpiferum. Com. Rar. Pk 9. 
tab. 9. Lejfer Tree-like Centaury with feeds furrounded 
with pulp. 
Thefe plants grow naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope, from whence their feeds were brought to Hol- 
land many years paft, and die plants were raifed in 
fome of the curious gardens there, and have fince 
been communicated to the curious in many parts of 
Europe. The feeds of the firft fort were fent me 
from Paris, by Mr. Richard, gardener to the king 
at Verfailles, from which I raifed feveral plants, which 
have flowered in the Chelfea garden feveral years, but 
have not as yet perfeded any feeds. 
It hath a fibrous root, which fpreads near the furface 
of the ground. The ftalks are round, and inclining 
to be ligneous, but are of a very foft texture * thefe 
grow from two to three feet high, having feveral 
branches on every fide, which grow erqd, garnifhed 
with fucculent leaves, which are an inch or more ia 
length, and an eighth part of an inch broad, ending 
in an obtufe point. At the ends of each fhoot the 
flowers are produced, which are tubulous, and fpread 
open at the top like thofe of Periwinkle * thefe are of 
a bright red colour, and when there are a large num- 
ber of the flowers open on the fame plant, they make 
a very fine appearance. In the center of the flower 
■ is placed an oval germen, upon which there is fixed 
a recurved ftyle, having a blunt ftigma at tlie top, 
furrounded by five incurved ftamina, each fupporting 
a large fummit. When the flowers fall away, the 
germen becomes an inflated capfule, which is filled 
with fmall feeds. The flowers are produced from 
June to autumn, and the feeds ripen in Oftober. This 
plant fhould be placed in an airy glafs-cafe in winter, 
where it may enjoy a dry air and much fun, but will 
not thrive in a warm ftove-; nor can it be well pre- 
ferved in a common green-houfe, becaufe a damp 
moift air will foon caufe it to rot. 
The feeds of this plant fhould be fown in fmall 
pots filled with light fandy earth, foon after they 
are ripe, and plunged into a moderate hot-bed, and 
muft be frequently but gently watered * fome-, 
times the feeds will lie a long time in the ground, fa 
that if the plants do not appear the fame feafon, the 
pots fhould not be difturbed, but preferved in fhelter 
till the following fpring, and then plunged into a 
frefh hot-bed, which will bring up the plants in a 
fhort time, if the feeds are good. When the plants 
are fit to remove, they fhould be tranfplanted into 
2 fmall 
