COT 
fdfr, and the heads fiand erect for the winds to dif- 
perfe the feeds. 
COTYLEDON. Lin. Gen. Plant. 512. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 90, tab. 19. [KolvXrddu, Gr. of KcTjA'/i, Gr. 
a cavity j becaufe the leaves of this are hollowed like 
the navel, or becaufe it refembles a veffel wherewith 
the ancients ufed to draw water,] Navelwort. 
The Characters are, 
The flower hath a ft hall empalement of one leaf divided 
into five parts at the top. It hath one funnel-jhaped pe- 
tal cut into five parts at the brim , which turn backward. 
It hath five germina, which have each a fiiuamous concave 
nectarium at their bafe , and each fuftains a ftyle, crowned 
by a fingle fiigma j thefe are attended by ten erect ft ami- 
na, which are terminated by eredi fummits , having four 
furrows. The germen afterward become fo many oblong 
fwetting c ap files i opening longitudinally , with one valve , 
filled with fmall feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fourth fection of 
Linnaeus’s tenth clafs, intitled Decanaria Pentagyma, 
the flower having ten ftamina and five ftyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Cotyledon (Umbilicus) foYns cuculato-peltatis, ferrato- 
dentatis, alternis, caule ramofo, floribus ereftis. Lin. 
Sp. Plant. 429. Navelwort with hooded leaves fie ar ply in- 
dented , growing alternate , and a branching fitalk with 
erebl flowers. Cotyledon major. Greater Navelwort. 
Umbilicus Veneris. Cluf. H. 
2. Cotyledon ( Spinofo ) foliis oblongis fpinofo-mucro- 
natis, caule fpicato. Lin. Sp. Plant. 429. Navelvcort 
with oblong pointed leaves , ending with a fpine , and a 
fpiked ftalk. 
3. Cotyledon (Serrata) foliis ovalibus, crenatis, caule 
Ipicato. Lin. Sp. Plant. 429. Navelwort with oval cre- 
nated leaves and a fpiked ftalk. Cotyledon Cretica, fo- 
lio oblongo, fimbriato. Hort. Elth. it 3. tab. 95. Na- 
velwort of Crete , with an oblong fringed leaf 
4. Cotyledon ( Hemifpherica ) foliis femiglobofis. Hort. 
Cliff. 176. Navelwort with femiglobular leaves. Coty- 
ledon Capenfis, folio femiglobato. Hort. Elth. 112. 
tab. 94. 
5. Cotyledon ( Orbiculata ) foliis fubrotundis, planis in- 
tegerrimis. Hort. Cliff. 276. Navelwort with roundiflo, 
plain , entire leaves. Sedum Africanum frutefcens, in- 
canum, orbiculatis foliis. H. L. 349. 
6. Cotyledon ( Ramofifiimo ) caule ramofiflimo, foliis 
rotundis, planis, marginibus purpureis. Navelwort 
. with a very branching ftalk , and rounds plain , hairy 
leaves , with purple edges. 
7. Cotyledon {Arbor efcens~) caule ramofo, fucculento, 
foliis obverse ovatis, emarginatis, marginibus purpu- 
reis. Navelwort with a branching fucculent ftalk , and ob- 
verfe oval leaves , which are indented at the top , and have 
purple borders. Cotyledon major, arborefeens Afra, 
foliis orbiculatis, glaucus, limbo purpureo, & ma- 
culis viridibus ornatis. Boerh. Ind. alt. 1. p. 287. 
8. Cotyledon ( Ovata ) caule ramofo, fucculento, fo- 
liis ovatis, planis, acuminatis oppofitis femiamplexi- 
caulibus. Navelwort with a fucculent branching ftalk , 
and ov al) plain, pointed leaves growing oppofite , which half 
embrace the ftalk. 
g. Cotyledon ( Spuria ) foliis alternis fpatulatis carnofis 
integerrimis. Lin. Sp. 614. Navelwort with fpatule- 
ftoaped leaves. Cotyledon Africana frutefcens, folio 
longo & angufto, flore flavefeente. Com. Rar. Plant. 
23. tab. 23. 
10. Cotyledon ( Laciniata ) foliis laciniatis, floribus qua- 
drifidis. Hort. Cliff. 175. Navelwort with cut leaves, 
and four-pointed flowers. Cotyledon Afra, folio craffo 
lato laciniato, flofculo aureo. Boerh. Ind. alt. 288. 
The firft fort, which is that ufed in medicine, grows 
upon old walls and buildings in divers parts of Eng- 
land, particularly in Shropfhire and Somerfetfhire ; in 
both which counties it greatly abounds upon old 
buildings, and on rocky places, but is not often 
found wild near London, nor often cultivated in gar- 
dens. This hath many round fucculent leaves, whole 
foot-ftalks are placed almoft in the center, fo as to 
refemble a target. They are alternately fawed on 
their edges, which frequently turn inward j the upper 
COT 
furfaceof the leaves are hollow in the middle, where 
the foot-ftalks are joined on the lower fide, fo as to 
refemble a navel, from whence the plant was titled 
Navelwort. From between the leaves arife the foot- 
ftalks of the flowers, which in fome places grow near 
three feet high, and in others not more than fix inches, 
their lower part being garniflied with leaves, and 
their upper part with flowers, which ftand clofe to 
the fide of the branches, and grow ere ft • they are 
of a whitifh yellow colour, and appear in June. ; It 
requires a dry rubbifhy foil, and to have a fhady po- 
fition. . This is a biennial plant, fo that after it has 
perfected feed, the plant decays ; but if the feeds 
are fcattered on walls and old buildings as foon as 
it is ripe, or if the feeds are permitted' to fall upon 
fuch places, the plants will come up, and thrive much 
better than when they are fown in the ground , and 
when once the plants are eftablifhed upon an old wall 
or building, they will fow their feeds, and maintain 
their place better than when cultivated with more care. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Siberia, from 
whence it was brought to the imperial garden at Pe- 
terfburgh. This was lent me by Dr. Amman, the 
late profefior of botany in that garden. It is a low 
plant, in fliape like the Houlleek, but the leaves are 
longer, and terminate in foft fpines. The fiower- 
ftalks rife about four inches high, and fupport four 
or five whitifh flowers, which are cut at the brim into 
five parts. Thefe appear in April, and are fome- 
times fucceeded by feeds in England. This fort re- 
quires a very fhady fituation, for if it is expofed to 
the fun in fummer, the plants will foon decay. It is 
propagated by offsets like the Houfleek, and requires 
a pretty ftrong foil. 
The third fort grows naturally in the Levant. This 
hath a fibrous root, From which is produced a fingle 
upright fucculent ftalk, garnifhed with oblong, thick, 
fucculent leaves, placed alternate, which are fawed on 
their edges. The upper part of the ftalk is garnifh- 
ed with purplifh flowers, growing in a loofe fpike, 
two or three being joined on the fame foot-ftalk, 
which is very fhort. The flowers appear in June, 
and the feeds ripen in autumn. It is a biennial plant, 
which decays foon after the feeds are ripe. If this 
fort is lown upon a wall, it will thrive better than 
in the ground, and be Ids liable to fuffer by froft ; 
fo that where the feeds flatter themfelves in fuch 
fttuations, the plants thrive better than when they 
are cultivated. 
The fourth fort grows naturally at the Cape of Good 
Hope. This hath a thick fucculent ftalk, which 
rarely rifes above a fpan high, dividing into many 
branches, garniflied with fhort, thick, fucculent leaves, 
which are very convex on their under fide, but plain 
on their upper, not -more than half an inch long, and 
a quarter broad, of a grayifn colour fpotted over with 
fmall green fpots, and fit clofe to the branches : the 
foot-ftalks of the flower rife from the top of the 
branches, and are fix inches long, naked, and fupport 
five or fix flowers, which come out alternate from 
the fide, fitting very clofe to the ftalks ; they are tu- 
bular, and cut into five parts at the top ; thefe are 
greenifh, with purple tips. It flowers in June and 
July, but never produces feeds in England. 
The fifth fort grows naturally upon dry gravelly fpots 
at the Cape of Good Elope. It hath a thick fucculent 
ftalk, which by age becomes ligneous, and rifes three 
or four feet high, fending out crooked branches, which 
grow irregular, garnifhed with thick, flefhy, fucculent 
leaves about two inches long, and near as vride toward 
the top •, they are narrow at their bafe, and rounded 
at the top, of a fla- green colour, with a purple edge, 
which is frequently irregularly indented. The flow* 
ers grow upon thick fucculent foot-ftalks, which 
arife from the end of the branches, and are near a 
foot long, naked, and fupporting eight or ten flowers, 
growing in an irregular umbel at the top j thefe are 
of a pale yellow colour, having long tubes, which 
hang downward, cut into five parts at the brim, which 
turn backward, the ftamina and ftyle being longer 
than 
ILL 
