D R A 
The fixth fort grows naturally in Siberia, from whence j 
the feeds were fent to the imperial garden at Peterf- j 
burgh, and the late Dr. Amman, who was profeffor 
of botany, fent me the feeds. This is an annual 
plant, from whofe roots come out many fquare weak 
ftalks, which grow about nine inches long •, thefe are 
at the bottom garnifhed with oval fpear-fhaped leaves 
about two inches long, and one inch and a quarter 
broad, Handing oppofite upon pretty long foot-ftalks, 
. and are crenated on their edges. The upper part of 
the ftalks have {mailer leaves, which fit clofe at the 
joints, from whence come out the flowers in whorls j 
they are of a deep blue colour, and hang downward ; 
thefe appear at the fame time with the former, and 
the feeds ripen in autumn. 
The feventh fort grows alfo in Siberia, the feeds of 
this were fent me with the former. It hath fquare 
ftalks, which rife a foot and a half high ; the lower 
leaves are very like thofe of Betony, and ftand upon 
very long foot-ftalks. The upper leaves are fmall, 
and fit clofer to the ftalks. The flowers come out in 
whorls at every joint ; thefe are very fmall, and of a 
pale purple or blue colour, fo make little appearance, 
but it is preferved in fome gardens for the fake of 
variety. 
The eighth fort grows naturally in the Levant, from 
whence Dr. Tournefort fent the feeds to the royal 
garden at Paris. This is an annual plant, which rifes 
with a fquare ftalk about a foot high, fending out 
two fmall fide branches from the lower part. The 
leaves are fpear-fhaped, and crenated on their edges 
they are placed oppofite, and ftand on foot-ftalks. 
The flowers are fmall, of a purplifli colour, and come 
out in. whorls round the ftalks, having two roundifh 
fmall leaves (called bradteae) immediately under them, 
which are lawed on their edges, each ferrature ending 
with a long hair. This fort flowers and feeds at the 
fame time as the former. 
All thefe forts are propagated by feeds, which may 
be fown either in the fpring or autumn, in the places 
where the plants are to remain, and will require no 
other treatment than the third fort. 
DRACONTIU M. Lin. Gen. Plant. 916. Dracun- 
culus. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 160. tab. yo.'Dragon; in 
French, Serpent air e. 
The Characters are, 
It hath a fragle cylindrical fpadix {or ftalk) on the upper 
part of which the parts of fructification are difpofed in a 
Jingular manner. ‘The flowers have no empalement , but 
have five oval concave petals, which are equal they have 
feven narrow deprejfed ftamina the length of the petals , 
terminated by oblong , four-cornered , twin fummits , which 
ftand erect •, they have an oval germen , fupporting a taper 
ftyle , crowned by a three-cornered ftigma. The germen 
afterward becomes a roundifh berry , incloftng fever al feeds ; 
thefe are all inclofed in a large flejhy fpatha {or ftoeath) 
opening with one valve. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the feventh fe&ion 
of Linnaeus’s twentieth clafs, intitled Gynandria Po- 
lyandria. This clafs’ and fedion contains the plants 
which have male and female flowers joined in the 
fame fpike, and the male flowers have feveral ftamina. 
The Species are, 
1. Dracontium ( Pertufum ) foliis pertufis, caule fcan- 
dente. Lin. Sp. Plant. 968. Dragon with leaves having 
holes , and a climbing ftalk. Arum hederaceum, am- 
plis foliis perforaris. Plum. Amer. 40. tab. 56. 
Climbing Arum with large perforated leaves. 
2. Dracontium (. Polyphyllum ) fcapo breviflimo, petiolo 
radicato, lacero, foliolis tripartitis, laciniis pinnatifidis. 
Hort. Cliff. 434. Dragon with a very fhort ftalk , the 
foot-ftatk cut , and the fmall leaves divided into three parts, 
which terminate in many points. Arum polyphyllum, 
caule fcabro punicante. Par. Bat. 93. Many leaved 
Arum with a rough purple ftalk. 
3. Dracontium ( 'Spinofum ) foliis fagittatis, pedunculis 
petiolifque aculeatis. Flor. Zeyl. 328. Dragon with 
arrow-pointed leaves, whofe foot-ftalks have fpines. Arum 
Zeylanicum fpinofum, fagittae foliis. Par. Bat. 75 * 
Prickly Arum of Ceylon with arrow-pointed leaves. 
D- R A 
.4. Dracontium ( Camtfchatcenfe ) foliis lanceolatis. Amcen.. 
Acad. 2. p. 360. Dragon with fpear-fk aped leaves. 
The fir ft fort grows naturally in moft of the iflands 
in the Weft-Indies. This hath {lender jointed ftalks, 
which put out roots at every joint, that fatten to 
the trunks of trees, walls, or any fupport which is 
near them, and thereby rife to the height of twenty- 
five or thirty feet. The leaves are placed alternately, 
Handing upon long foot-ftalks •, they are four or five 
inches long, and two and a half broad, having fe- 
veral oblong holes in each, which on the firft view 
appears as if eaten by infeds, but they are natural to 
the leaves. The flowers are produced at the top of 
the ftalk, which always fwells to a larger fize in that 
part than in any other-, thefe are covered with an 
oblong fpatha (or hood) of a whitifh green colour, 
which opens longitudinally on one fide, and (hews the 
piftil, which is clofely covered with flowers, of a pale 
yellow, inclining to white. When this plant begins 
to flower, it feldom advances farther in height, fo 
that thefe feldom are more than feven or eight feet 
high but the leaves are much larger on thefe, than 
thofe of the plants which ramble much farther. 
This plant is eafily propagated by cuttings, which, 
if planted in pots, filled with poor fandy earth, and 
plunged into a hot-bed, will loon put out roots, if 
they had none before ; but there are few of the joints 
which have not roots : the plants are tender, fo will 
not live in the open air in England, therefore the 
pots fhould be placed near the walls of the hot-houfe, 
againft which the plants will climb, and fatten their 
roots into the wall, and thereby fupport the ftalks. 
They fhould have but little water given them in the 
winter, but in warm weather it moft be given them 
three or four times a week, and in the fummer the 
free air fhould be admitted to them in plenty. The 
plants have no particular feafon of flowering, for they 
fometimes flower in autumn, and at other times in 
the fpring, but they do not ripen their feeds in 
England. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in feveral of the 
iflands of America. I received roots of this from Barbu- 
da. This hath a large knobbed irregular root, covered 
with a rugged brown Akin. The ftalk rifes about a 
foot high, is naked to the top, where it is garnifhed 
with a tuft of leaves, which are divided into many 
parts. The ftalk is fmooth, of a purple colour, but 
is full of {harp protuberances of different colours, 
which fhine like the body of a ferpent. The fpadix 
(or ftalk) of the flower rifes immediately from the 
root, and is feldom more than three inches high, 
having an oblong fwelling hood at the top, which 
opens lengthways, {hewing the fhort, thick, pointed 
piftil within, upon which the flowers are clofely 
ranged. 
This fort is tender, fo requires a warm ftove to pre- 
ferve it in England. The roots rrmft be planted in 
pots filled with light kitchen-garden earth, and 
plunged into the tan-bed in the ftove, where they 
fhould conftantly remain ; in the winter they muft be 
watered very fparingly, but in warm weather, when 
the plants are in vigour, they muft be often refrefhed, 
but it Ihould not be given them in too great quan- 
tities with this management the plants will flower, 
but their roots do not increafe here. 
The third fort grows naturally in the ifiand of Cey- 
lon, and in feveral parts of India-, this hath an ob- 
long thick root, full of joints, from which arife feveral 
leaves, {haped like thofe of the common Arum, but 
their foot-ftalks are covered with rough protuberan- 
ces. The ftalk which fupports the flower is fhort, 
and fet with the like protuberances ; and at the top 
is a hood, or fpatha, about four inches long, as thick 
as a man’s finger, which opens longitudinally, and 
expofes the piftil, which is fet with flowers. This is 
a tender plant, and requires the fame treatment as 
the former fort. 
The fourth fort hath roots like the common Arum, 
from which come out feveral fpear-fhaped leaves. 
Handing each upon a feparate foot-ftalk, ariftng im- 
mediately 
