The VEGETABLE SYSTEM. 
*9 
The Stalk is a yard high, rough to the touch, of a yellowifh green, 
and fpreads into wide branches. The Leaves are alfo of a yellowifh 
green. The Scales of its buttony Heads are green. The Flowers are 
white. They cover the Head at once, making a complete white 
Ball, which appears fring’d all over with black; the Summit-, which 
hang out beyond the Body of the Flower, being of that colour. 
It is frequent about Denham ; we have it alio in the neighbourhood 
of Woolwich ; but I think not nearer London. 
Let it not feem ftrange that I have disjoined this Plant from the 
preceding. Though the generality of late, as well as earlier authors, 
have called it a Teafell; Nature difclaims the alliance, and fome have 
feen it. Vaillant a has called it a Devilfbit, and referred it to the 
Scabious kinds ; but ftill the Plant is neither Teafell nor Scabious, but 
a diftindt Genus ; and it is lucky that it has a diftindt and known 
name, as it fo much deferves it. b Linnaeus, excellent and accurate 
almoft every where, acknowledges that Vaillant did not much amifs 
in referring this Plant to the Scabious : but he would have not this 
alone, but all the Teafells be referred alfo thither. I wifh I could, with 
juftice, fpeak of his thought in this, as favourably as he of Variant’s. 
To unite Genera in artificial methods, tends always to confufion ; and 
here it cannot be done without violation of Nature : the feparate Cups 
of the Flower in thefe Plants, is the great Character ; and this in Tea- 
fell is fimple and entire ; in Scabious, double and divided ; they differ 
more than as Genera, they are of different Orders. Haller, obfervant 
always of Nature, calls in the Habit c againft Vaillant, and the Scales 
between the Flowers ; but there is a Scabious d which this more re- 
fembles than it does the Teafell, and many Aggregates have Chaffs be- 
tween the Flowers. Both will, I hope, allow me the new Genus. 
a Memoir. 238. b Hort. ClifFort. c Facies, p. 675. Enum. St. Helv. 
* Scabiofa Syriaca, Plate 27. of this Volume. 
C 2 
GENUS 
