D I A N D R I A. 
( 2. ) 
PROFUSE NYCTANTHES. 
T his fweet Ny6Ianthes, which, with us, ftraggles along the bark Bed of 
a Stove, a weak, unfightly, and irregular Plant, graces the C H i n e s e 
Forefts in a better Form. ’Tis there alfo a weak Shrub, but rifing 
among Thickets, it lays the {lender Boughs upon their more robuft Branches, and 
carries them to the Height of twelve or fourteen Feet ; grac’d with innumerable 
Flowers, and with a glorious Verdure. With us the Leaves are often pale, for the 
free Air gives Colour, and our Stoves can but admit a moderate Share of it. There 
where it breathes its Perfumes to the Wind, the Leaves have alfo their complete 
and glowing Verdure. The Stalks are lightly hairy, and they divide wildly, but 
pleafingly, with obtufe Angles. The Leaves are firm in Subftance, and deep ribb’d. 
The Flowers are Snow-white, and innumerable. More had fallen from this Spe- 
cimen than remain’d upon it, yet the Number was ftill equal to thofe here repre- 
fented. It very well deferves therefore the Charadler, Profuse of Bloom ; 
and it may difpute the Prize of Fragrance againft all Vegetable Nature. 
The Flowers hand in fmall Clufters at the Extremities of the Branches ; each 
has its lacerated Cup, with eight narrow and fharp-pointed Divifions, which 
grow in Length after the Bloom is fallen. One Petal forms the Body of the 
Flower ; This is a {lender Tube, -divided at the Edge naturally into no more than 
eight Segments, but no Flower grows more readily luxuriant. In this Specimen, 
gather’d in a Hedge, they were, in general nine ; and we fhall fee, in the facceed- 
ing Page, how Art can multiply them farther. 
Each Segment rifes from the' Head of the Tube, with a bearded Bafe, which 
wears off as they grow in Number and in Length ; and is in all States moft confpi- 
cuous in the outermoft Divifions. Deep in the Hollow of the Tube lie two Fila- 
ments with their Buttons, and one Style rifes up between them, exceeding them 
greatly in Length. The two Filaments fhew it to be of the fecond Clafs, the 
D I A N D R I A. 
It will be worth while to examine this Flower ftridf ly, for the fake of that 
which follows. I know no Subject more Curious than fearching Nature in her 
Courfe of doubling Flowers : and this is at once a lingular and very glorious 
Inftance. In many others the Filaments fwell into Petals, and the Doublenefs 
begins from the Bafe of the Flower ; in this the Luxuriance rifes from the Head 
of the Tube, and the two fmall Filaments remain unalter’d at its Bottom. This 
Flower of nine Petals is an approach to Doublenefs ; and will lead toward the 
Knowledge of the other. 
The Tube terminates in a thick, unequal, knobbed Circle : and from the 
outer Verge of this rife the Eight proper Petals, but when it fwells to more than 
the natural Thicknefs, others come up within thefe from different Parts of its Sur- 
face, forming the inner Circle. No more appears in this Condition of the Plant. 
It is thus a very valuable Article in our Collections ; but in the fully Double 
State it exceeds all Price. 
^ Nydanthes foliis inferioribus cordatis Obtulis fuperioribus ovatis acutis.— Linn. 
Jafmiiiucn Arabicutn Authoruin. 
