t 
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decay ; the young roots are much better to remove 
than the old, becaufe they are furnifhed with fibres, 
fo will readily take root : when thefe are fixed in the 
ground, they fhould remain unremoved ; and if they 
are kept clean from weeds, it is all the culture they 
will require. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in feveral parts of 
.England, where it is a very troublefome weed, for 
the roots run deep into the ground, fo are not eafily 
deftroyed by the plough ; and they fpread and mul- 
tiply greatly in the ground, to the prejudice of 
whatever i§ fown or planted on the land, therefore it 
is not admitted into gardens. 
The third fort makes a very pretty appearance when 
it is in flower, efpecially that with the blue ftalks and 
flowers, for there is a variety of this with white flow- 
ers and ftalks but as this doth not fpread at the 
root, but keeps within bounds, fo a few of the plants 
fhould be allowed a place in the pleafure-garden. This 
is propagated by feeds, which, if fown in the autumn, 
will more certainly fucceed than when it is fown in 
the fpring, for the latter commonly remains in the 
ground a year before they vegetate •, and if the feeds 
, are fown where the plants are to remain, they will 
flower ftronger than thofe which are tranfplanted ; for 
as they have long downright roots', fo thefe are com- 
monly broken in taking out of the ground, which 
.greatly weaken the plants. The culture they require 
is to thin them \yhere they are too near, keep them 
dean from weeds, and dig the ground about them 
every fpring before they fhoot. 
The ftalks of this fort will rife from two to three 
feet high, the lower leaves are oval and plain •, thofe 
of the white fort are of a lighter green than thofe of 
the blue ; the upper part of the ftalks of the v/hite 
are of that colour, thofe of the blue are of the colour 
of amethyft ; the ftalks divide upward, where they 
are garnifhed with leaves divided into many points 
ending with fpines f the flowers are produced in oval 
heads at the top of the ftalk, Handing upon feparate 
foot-ftalks. The flowers come out in July, and the 
feeds ripen in September. 
The fourth fort grows naturally upon the mountains 
of Syria, and alfo upon the Apennines. The lower 
leaves of this fort are divided like the fingers of a 
hand, into five or fix fegments, which are very much 
cut at their extremities into many parts, and have 
fmall fpines ; the ftalk rifes about two feet high, gar- 
nifhed with fmaller and more divided leaves ; the 
tipper part of the ftalk, and alfo the heads of flowers, 
are of the fineft amethyft colour, fo that they make 
a very fine appearance. This fort flowers in July, 
and when the autumn proves dry, their feeds will 
ripen in September, but in wet feafons the feeds never 
ripen in England. This is propagated by feeds in the 
fame manner as the former fort. 
The fifth fort has been fuppofed by many, to be only 
a variety of the fourth ; but I have propagated it by 
feeds more than thirty years, without finding the leaft 
alteration, fo that I make no doubt of its being a 
diftiruft fpecies. The lower leaves of this are very 
much divided, and the extremity of the fegments 
form an oval or circle ; thefe are divided into many 
line parts, which end in fpines ; they are of a whitifh 
gray in the middle; and green on the borders. The 
ftalks rife about two feet high, garniflied at the joints 
with fmaller leaves which are finely cut ; the flowers 
terminate the ftalk, they are of a light blue colour, 
and grow in larger heads than either of the former 
forts. It flowers in June and July, and the feeds 
ripen in autumn. This grows naturally on the Alps ; 
it is a perennial plant, and may be propagated by 
feeds in the fame manner as the former. 
The fixth fort was difcovered by Dr. Tournefort in 
the Levant, from whence he fent the feeds to the 
royal garden at Paris. This hath a perennial root, 
the lower leaves are regularly divided into feven or 
nine parts to the midrib, as the other winged leaves ; 
thefe fegments are fawed on their edges, which end 
in fharp thorns. The ftalks rife two feet high. 
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fending out fide branches, garniflied with ft iff leaves, 
which are divided into narrower fegments than the 
lower, and are terminated by three points. The flow- 
ers terminate the ftalks, fitting clofe among the leaves, 
and are of a fine blue, as are alfo the leaves on the 
upper part of the ftalks, fo they make a pretty ap- 
pearance. This flowers in July, but feldom ripens 
feeds in England. It is propagated in the fame manner 
as the three former forts, and the plants require the 
fame treatment. 
The feventh fort grows naturally in Virginia and Ca- 
rolina, where it is titled Rattlefnake Weed, from its 
virtues of curing the bite of that venomous reptile. 
This hath a perennial root, from which arife feveral 
long leaves, which are fawed on their edges, ending 
ih fpines ; thefe leaves are difpofed round the root, 
after the fame form of the Aloe or Yucca •, they are 
of a gray colour, a foot long or more, and one: inch 
and a half broad, ftiff, and end in fpines. The ftalk 
is ftrong, grows two feet high, dividing upward into 
fevera) foot-ftalks, each being terminated by an oval 
head of flowers, fhaped like thofe of the former forts ; 
they are white, with a little caft of pale blue., Th's 
fort flowers in July, but unlefs the feafon is Very 
warm, the feeds will not ripen in England. 
This fort is propagated by feeds, which, if fown in 
pots and plunged into a moderate hot-bed, the plants 
will come up much fooner than thofe which are fown 
in the full ground, whereby they will be much 
ftronger before the winter. When the plants are fit 
to remove, they fliould be each planted in a feparate 
fmall pot, filled with light earth •, and if they are 
plunged into a moderate hot-bed, it will forward 
their taking root ; then they muft be gradually inured 
to bear the open air, into which they may be re- 
moved toward the latter end of May,: and placed 
among other hardy exotic plants. When the plants 
have filled thefe pots with their roots, lome of them 
may be fliaken out, and planted in a warm border ; 
the others may be put into larger pots, and in the 
autumn placed under a common frame, where they 
may be expofed to the free air in mild weather, but 
flickered from fevere froft : the following fpring thefe 
may be turned out of the pots, and planted ih a 
warm fltuation, where they will endure the cold of 
our ordinary winters very well ; and if in fevere froft 
they are covered with Straw, Peas-haulm, or any 
fuch light covering, it will fecure them from injury. 
The eighth fort grows naturally in Spain and Italy. 
This puts out oblong plain leaves from the root, 
which are cut on their edges ; the ftalks rife about a 
foot high, and branch out into many forked divifions, 
which are regular, and at each of thefe divifions is 
fituated a fmall head of flowers, fitting very clofe be- 
tween the branches, Thefe have no great beauty, fo 
the plants are feldom cultivated in gardens, except 
for the fake of variety. 
The ninth fort grows naturally on the mountains of 
Helvetia and Italy. The root is perennial, the lower 
leaves are oblong, heart-lhaped, and plain ; the ftalks 
rife from two to three feet high, branching out on 
their fides upward; thefe are garniflied with ftiff leaves, 
which are deeply divided, ending in many points with 
fharp fpines ; the flowers terminate the ftalks, they 
are collected into conical heads, and are of a light 
blue colour, as are alfo the upper part of the ftalks. 
This flowers in July, and the feeds are ripe in Sep- 
tember ; it is propagated by feeds in the fame manner 
as the other forts. 
The tenth fort grows naturally in the Weft-Indies, 
where it is much ufed in medicine, being accounted 
of great fervice in the cure of fevers, from whence it 
hath the appellation of Feverweed in thofe countries. 
The roots of this plant are ccmpofed of many fmall 
fibres,. which fpread near the furface ; the lower leaves 
are fix or feven inches long ; they are narrow at their 
bafe, and enlarge upward to an inch in breadth near 
the top, where they are rounded off on one fide like 
a fcymitar ; they are finely fawed on their edges, and 
arc of a light green colour ; the ftalk rifes about a 
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