68 
The VEGETABLE SYSTEM. 
him eflablifh in his mind a middle ftatef and the extreams will not 
perplex him. I have endeavoured every where to give it in thefe 
figures ; there are many of them whofe Heads and Footftalks I have 
new drawn fix or eight times to hit the proper flandard. 
23. MULTIFID SCABIOUS. 
Plate 38. 
Character of the Species. Scabiofa triandra. 
The Leaves from the Root are fimple, oval, and ferrated ; 
thofe on the Stalk are divided into a multitude of very 
flender Segments. 
Plate 28. a b. 
This is a bienniaj, native of the South of France, a very Angular, 
and very handfome Plant ; flowering from June to Augufl. 
The firfl: Leaves are of a deep and very beautiful green ; the Stalk is 
alfo of a flrong green ; and its Leaves only a little paler. The heighth 
of the Plant is about a foot, and it has not many Branches ; thofe it 
has are tender, and apt to have the laflum collum of the poet bending 
under the weight of the Flowers ; thefe are very large, and of an 
exceeding fine glowing crimfon, with fome tindt of blue among it, 
which in certain lights gives it a caft of purple. 
There is fomething fo Angular in the feparate Flowers of this 
Plant, that it would not feem ftrange to give a new generic character, 
and place it alone under another name; but many things may be per- 
fectly wrong, which would not feem Arange. The great apparent 
Angularity in this Plant, is that the Flower is divided only into three 
Segments, all the others having four or five ; and there is another ar- 
ticle, which, though lefs obvious, will appear to many yet more impor- 
tant ; which is, there are only three Chives, whereas the other Scabious’s 
have four. But in anfwer to all this, the firfl: glance of the eye 
would teach the common obferver to call it Scabious ; and frequent in- 
fpedtion of the Flowers will fliew that, though ufually they are not 
always trifid. 
The 
