2 
Diakoria Liunxi. 
Profuse nyctanthes. 
N Y C T A N T n E S S A M B A C. 
T H I S fwcct Nydanthes, wlucli, with us, draggles along the bark bed of a 
dove, a weak, unfightly, and irregular Plant ; graces the Ciiinkse foreds in a 
better form. ’Tis even there a weak Shrub, but rifing among thickets, it lays 
its dender boughs upon their more robud Brandies, 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 doves can but 
admit a moderate fharc of it. There where it breathes its perfumes to the wind, the 
Leaves have alfo their complete and glowing colour. The Stalks are lightly hairy, and 
they divide wildly, but pleadingly, with obtufc angles. The Leaves are firm in fub- 
dance, and deep ribb’d. The Flowers are fnow-wliitc, and innumerable. More had 
fallen from this fpecimen than remain’d upon it, yet the number was dill equal to thofe 
here reprefented. It very well deferves therefore the charader. Profuse of Bloom ; and 
it may difpute the prize of fragrance againd all Vegetable nature. 
The Flov.'crs dand in fmall cludcrs at the extremities of the Branches ; each has its 
lacerated Cup, with eight narrow and fnarp-pointed divifions, which grow in length 
after the bloom is fallen. One Petal forms the body of the Flower: This is a d mder 
tube, divided at the edge naturally into no more than eight Segments, but no Fiower 
grows more readily luxuriant. In this fpecimen, gather’d in a hedge, they were in tre- 
neral nine ; and we diall fee, in the fucceeding 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 dates mod confpicuous in the 
outermod divifions. Deep in the hollow of the tube lie two Filaments with their but- 
tons, and one dyle rifes up between them, exceeding them greatly in length. The two 
Filaments drew it to be of the fecond clafs, the Di.indria. 
It will be worth while to examine this Flower driidly, for the dike of that which 
follows. I know no fubjecl more curious than fearching nature in her courlc of doub- 
ling Flowers : and this is at once a fingular and very glorious indance. In many others 
the Filaments fwell into Petals, and the doublencfs begins from the bafe of the Flower ; 
in this the Luxuriance rifes from the head of the T ube, and the two fmall Filaments re- 
main unalter’d at its bottom. This Flower of nine Petals is an approach to double- 
nefs ; and will lead tow'ard the knowledge of the other. 
The tube terminates in a thick, unequal, knobbed circle : and from the outer terge 
of this rife the eight proper Petals, but when it fivclls to more than the natural thick- 
nefs, others come up within thele, from diderent parts of its furface, forming the 
inner circle. No more appears in this condition of the Plant. It is thus a very valuable 
article in our colleftions : but in the fully double date it exceeds all price. 
Nyflanthes foliis iiifcrioribus corjatis obtufis ruperioribus ovacis aculis. 
jAfminum Arabicum Auibomni, ^ 
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t a'. 
