\ 
f I 
DEL 
ordinary flowers among them ; and if there are feeds 
i of the different coloured flowers fown in each patch, 
they will make a pleafmg variety : but the upright 
fort fhould never be mixed in the fame patches with 
the branching, becauie they do not flower at the 
fame time. 
But in order to preferve the two forts fine without 
degenerating to fingle or bad colours, tnere fhould be 
a bed of each fort fown in autumn, in fome feparate 
part of tire garden, where the plants fhould be pro- 
perly thinned, and kept clean from weeds, till they 
begin to Anew their flowers •, when they fhould be 
carefully looked over every other day, to pull out all 
thofe plants, whofe flowers are not very double nor 
of good colours ; for if thefe are permitted to ftand 
among the others till their farina has impregnated 
them, it will certainly caule them to degenerate ; fo 
that thofe perfons who are contented with only 
marking their good flowers for feed, and fuffer the 
others to ftand for feed among them, will always find 
themfelves difappointed in the goodnefs of their flow- 
ers the following feafon : therefore thofe who propofe 
to have thefe flowers in perfection, fhould never 
gather the feeds of fuch as grew in the borders of 
the flower-garden ; becaufe there it will be almoft 
impoffible to preferve them fo true, as when they are 
in beds at a diftance from all other kinds. 
When the fced-veffels turn brown, they muft be 
carefully watched, to gather them before they open 
and difcharge the feeds ; fo that thofe which are fi- 
tuated on the lower part of the ftalk, will open long 
before thofe on the upper part of the ftalk are ripe * 
for which reafon the pods fhould from time to time 
be gathered as they ripen, and not buffered to ftand 
till the ftalks are pulled up, which is often pra&ifed. 
Thofe pods which are fituated on the lower part of 
the ftalks, are much preferable to fuch as grow near 
the top ; for which reafon thofe who are very curious 
in the choice of their feeds, crop off the upper part 
of the fpikes of flowers, and never fuffer them to 
ftand for feeds. 
As thefe plants are very hardy, and require fo little 
care in their culture, fo they are worthy of a place in 
every good garden ; for during their continuance in 
flower, there are few plants which make a better ap- 
pearance ; and for gathering to make flower-pots to 
adorn rooms, there is fcarce any flower fo proper ; 
becaufe by their upright growth and long fpikes, 
they rife to a proper height above the pots *, and 
when the feveral colours are fkilfully intermixed 
they make a rich appearance, and continue long in 
beauty. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in Sicily and Spain, 
I received the feeds of it from Gibraltar ; this hath a 
very branching ftalk, which rifes about two feet high * 
the lower leaves are divided into many broad obtufe 
fegments, but thofe which are upon the ftalks are 
generally fingle •, the flowers grow fcatteringly toward 
the upper part of the branches, they are fmall, and 
of a deep blue colour •, thefe are fucceeded by very 
imall feed-veffels, which are fometimes fingle, and 
at others double, and very rarely three together, as 
in the common forts. This is an annual plant, whofe 
feeds fhould be fown in autumn, and the plants 
treated as the common fort^ it hath little beauty, 
and is only kept in fome gardens for the fake of va- 
riety. 
The fifth fort hath a perennial ro©t, which fends out 
feveral upright ftalks in the fpring, riling to the 
height of four feet, garnifhed with leaves which are 
divided into many broad fegments, in form of a 
fpreading hand ; thefe fegments are cut at their ex- 
tremities into two or three acute points • the leaves 
are hairy, and ftand upon long foot-ftalks * the flow- 
ers terminate the ftalks, growing m long fpikes •, they 
are of a light blue, covered toward their hinder part 
with a meally down. This flowers in July and Au- 
guft, and in autumn the ftalks decay to the root. 
The fixth fort grows naturally in Siberia, from whence 
the feeds w r ere feat to the Imperial garden at Pe- 
DEh 
terfburgh, where they fucceeded ; and the feeds were 
fent me from thence by the late Dr. Amman, who 
was profeflbr of botany in that univerfrty: This hath 
a perennial root, which puts out twt> or three 
branching ftalks every fpring ; thefe rife about a foot 
and a half high, and are garniftied at each joint with 
leaves compofed of many narrow fegments* which 
terminate with feveral acute points •, they are fmooth, 
and of a light green colour ^ the flowers come out 
toward the upper part of the ftalks frngly, each 
ftanding upon a long naked foot-ftalk thefe are large, 
and of a fine azure colour •, they appear the latter 
part of July, and are fucceeded by feeds which ripen 
in the autumn. 
The feventh fort grows naturally in America^ this is 
a perennial plant, which rifes with ftrong branching 
ftalks fix or feven feet high, garniftied with hand- 
fhaped leaves, which are divided into four or five 
broad lobes, ending with many acute points * thefe 
are fmooth, and ftand upon long foot-ftalks j the 
flowers terminate the ftalks, growing in long fpikes 5 
they are of a fine blue colour, with a bearded nec- 
tarium, having two lips * and of a dark colour, re- 
fembling at a fmall diftance the body of a bee. 
All the perennial Larkfpurs are propagated by feeds, 
which, if fown in autumn, will more certainly fuc- 
ceed, than thofe which are fown in the fpring ; when 
the plants come up, they fhould be kept clean from 
weeds, and where they are too clofe together, part 
of them fhould be drawn out, to allow room for the 
others to grow till the following autumn, v/hen they 
muft be planted where they are to remain * the fol- 
lowing fummer they will flower, and the roots con- 
tinue many years growing in magnitude, 1b will pro- 
duce a greater number of fiower-fcalks. 
The eighth fort is an annual plant, which grows na- 
turally in the Levant, as alfo in Calabria •, this rifes 
with a ftrong hairy ftalk about two feet high, gar- 
nifhed with hand-fhaped hairy leaves, compofed of 
five or feven oblong lobes, which have frequently one 
or two acute indentures on their Tides ; the flowers 
form a loofe fpike at the upper part of the ftalk, 
each ftanding on a long foot-ftalk ; the flowers are of 
a pale blue or purple colour, and have a two-leaved 
nedtarium : this is propagated by feeds, which fhould 
be fown in autumn, for thofe fown in the fpring never 
grow the fame year. The feeds fhould be fown where 
the plants are to remain, and require no other treat- 
ment than the common Larkfpur. The common 
people ufe the powder of this feed to kill lice, from 
whence it has been titled Loufewort. 
DENS CANIS. See Erythronium. 
DENS LEONIS. See Leontodon. 
DENTARIA. Lin. Gen. Plant. 726. Tourn. InfL 
R. H. 225. tab. no. Toothwort - 3 in French Den- 
taire. 
The Characters are. 
The empalemcnt of the flower is compofed of four oblong 
ovd leaves , which fall off ; the flower hath four obtufe 
petals placed in form of a crofs it hath fix flamina , four 
of which are as long as the empalement , the other two 
are porter thefe are terminated by oblong heart-paped 
fummits , which fiand erebi. In the center is fituated an 
oblong germen, fupporting a port thick fiyle , crowned by 
an obtufe ftigma •, the germen afterward becomes a long 
taper pod with two cells , divided by an intermediate par- 
tition , opening with two valves , including many roundp 
feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedtion 
of Linnaeus’s fifteenth clafs, intitied Tetradynamia 
Siliquofa, the flowers having four long and two fhort 
ftamina, and the feeds being inclofed in long pods. 
The Species are, 
1. Dentaria ( Pentaphyllos ) folds fummis digitatis. Lin. 
Sp. 912. Five-leaved Toothwort , whofe upper leaves are 
hand-paped. Dentaria pentaphyllos, folks mollioribus. 
C. B. P. 322. Five-leaved “Toothwort with foft leaves. 
2. Dentaria {Bulbifera) foliis inferioribus pinnatis, 
fummis fimplicibus. Hart. Cliff. 335. Toothwort with 
lower leaves winged / and the upper ones fingle. Denta- 
