POLYADELPHIA. iS ) 
BLOOD STAIND HYPERICUM. 
T he Lord Northumberland, born to improve as well as patronize 
the Science, added this elegant Plant to the European Botany. This 
Nobleman firft rais’d it here from Seeds obtain’d from China, a very 
few Years fmce j and from his Store, all the curious Gardens now are ftocked 
with it. Tho’ a Native of the East, it bears the open Air with us, and flowers 
all Summer : our Winters are too Iharp for its longer Continuance in that State, 
but in any Part of Europe, a few Degrees more South, it will doubtlefs live 
and flower all the Year. With us only the Superficies dies in Winter j the 
Root remains, and fends up a new Shrub early the following Spring. 
’Tis a Yard high : firm in the Stem, and varioufly branch’d : it forms a fine 
wild Shrub for Clumps in Gardens, and its Flowers have an uncommon Beau- 
ty ; both in the Bud, and when full blown. 
The Buds are very large, and tho’ their general Colour is yellow, they are 
always ftain’d in irregular Streaks and oblong Blotches, with an abfolute Blood- 
red. 
When the Flower opens, the whole inner Surface is a. fine Yellow ; but be- . 
hind, this ftaining of the Bud preferves itfelf in all its Luftre: and as the Flow- 
ers droop or bend accidentally, or as the Winds move them, thefe Crimfon Stains 
are feen upon the Back, and make a fine Variety. 
The Stem is cover’d with a brown, rough Bark, and often from its Ridges _ 
has a fquare Afpe 61 : ; the Leaves are firm, and tho’ there be fome Stilfnefs in 
the Manner of their Growth, it is fingular, and upon the Whole not unplea- 
fing. They are not pierc’d with thofe fmall Holes which we fee in the Leaves of 
common Hypericum, when held up to the Light. 
The Filaments are numerous in this Flower, but they, are collected by Na- 
ture into five feparate Clufters : this ftiews the Clafs to which the Plant belongs, 
the PoLYADELPHiA. The Number of thefe Arrangements, into which the Fila- 
ments are join’d, is not elfential, only it muft be more than two. This Difpo- 
fition of the Filaments is not eafily feen in the entire Flower, becaufe thofe of 
each Arrangement cohere only at their Bafes 5 but if they be pull’d out of the 
Flower, they come away always in thefe five Clufters ; and the Bafe of each 
Clufter is fomething more than an Union of fo many Filaments 5 it is a folid, 
oblong, fleihy Subftance, from which they take their Rife. 
Nature has been very fparing of the Polyadelphous Plants j befides the Hy-. 
pericums and Afcyrums, we know only the Cocoa and the Orange Kind. 
Among the Hypericums, fome have five Styles, fome three, and others two. 
This has been fuppofed to have only, one : but the Summit of that one is 
plainly divided into five 5 and the Body of the Style is form’d of the Continua- 
tions of thefe five diftin^t Parts ; only cover’d by one flight Membrane, and ter- 
minating in five Cells in the Seed-veflfel. 
L E- 
It is difcover’d, fince Linnaeas publifli’d his Species, therefore it has not yet been nam’d, except by Gardeners. 
maybe call’d Hypericum Pentagynum Stylis Involutis. 
