C A C 
wort-leaved Tndian-fig has very thin branches, which are 
indented regularly on their edges, like fpleenwort; they 
are of a light green, iliaped like a broud-Iword, and with¬ 
out fpines. The flowers come out from the tide, and at 
the end of the branches, and are of a pale yellow colour. 
The fruit rarely ripens in England. It grows naturally 
in the Brafils, Surinam, See. and was cultivated by Mr. 
Miller in 1731. 
24. Caftus alatus : proliferous, enflform, compre.Ted, 
crenate. Stem round, afli-coloured,. flexile, w hence ilfue 
feveral leaves, which at firft are very hairy, and after¬ 
wards grow to a foot in length, and an inch broad in the 
middle, decreating to both extremes; they are of a pale 
green colour, and have round indentures on their edges ; 
out of thefe proceed the flowers: the fruit is Email and 
comprefled. Native of Jamaica. 
25. Cadtus fpi noli (limits, or duller-fpined Indian-fig: 
(lent upright, comprefled; branches oppolite, bifarious, 
comprefled ; fpines briftle-fhaped. The branches of this 
fort have the joints much longer, narrower, and more com¬ 
prefled, than in any of the others. The fpines are very 
long, (lender, and of a yello'.vifh brown colour, coming 
out in clufterS all over the furface of the branches, erod¬ 
ing each other, fo as to render the plant dangerous to 
handle; for, upon being touched, the fpines quit the 
branches, adhere to the hand, and penetrate the llcin, fo 
as to be very troublefome. Its growth is more upright 
and lofty than the other opuntias; the trunk below the 
branches is fo abfolutely covered with fpines as to be in- 
viable, and to feem nothing but a congeries of thefe. 
Hence the gardeners have, whimfically enough, named 
this plant Robinfon Crufoc's coat. The branches are re¬ 
markably neat and flatted, feldom fubdividing much, but 
protending horizontally in a double row, and in the fame 
plane. The fpines are very long and (lender, in parcels, 
and have a woolly tuft at their bafe, which is moft evident 
in the more tender joints. Upon the whole, this fpecies 
is very different from the reft, and has more of an air of 
neatnefs and elegance than any of thefe ftrange plants, 
notwithftanding its roughnefs. It was lent to Mr. Miller 
from Jamaica by Dr. Houftoun, before 1733. He found 
it there in great plenty, but could never obferve either 
flower or fruit upon any of the plants ; nor have they pro¬ 
duced any in England. 
26. Cadhis perelkia, or Barbadoes goofeberry : ftem ar¬ 
boreous, round ; prickles double, recurved ; leaves lance¬ 
olate-ovate. This has many (lender branches, which trail 
■on whatever plants grow near them. Thefe branches, as 
alfo the ftem of the plant, are befet with long whitifh 
fpines, which are produced in tufts. The leaves are 
roundifli, very thick and fucculent; and the fruit is about 
the fize of a walnut, having tufts of fmall leaves on it, 
and within a whitifh mucilaginous pulp. It grows in fume 
parts of the Spanifh Weft Indies, whence it was brought 
to the Englifh fettlements in America, where it is called 
Barbadoes goofeberry. The Dutch have named it blad- 
apple. It was cultivated in 2656, in the royal garden at 
Kampton-court. 
27. Caftus portulacifolius, or purflain-leaved Indian- 
fig: ftem round, arboreous, thorny ; leaves wedge-form, 
■retufe. Stem ieaflefs, but armed w-itli bundles of briftle- 
fhaped fpines. Fruit roundifli, fomewhat angular, having 
no tufts of leaves on it, by which it is diftinguifhed from 
the foregoing, which it otherwife much refembles. 
Propagation and Culture. The firft fort produces quanti¬ 
ties of fruit annually ; and, as the feeds grow very readily, 
it is now very common in thofe gardens where there are 
ftoves to keep them; for, if the fruit is permitted to drop 
upon the earth of the pots, and that is not difturbed, there 
will plenty of plants come up without farther trouble ; 
and thefe feedling plants may be taken up as foon as they 
are of a proper fize to remove, and planted fix or (even of 
them into a fmall halfpenny pot, where they may (land one 
year; by which time they will be large enough to be each 
planted into a feparate pot, and afterwards they will make 
T IT S. 5S3 
great progrefs, cfpeciatly if they are plunged into a hot¬ 
bed of tanners’bark in (ummer; for, although this fort is 
much more hardy than rlie large kind, and may be pre- 
lerved in a moderate (love, yet the plants will not make 
near the progrefs as thofe which are kept in a greater de¬ 
gree of heat. This fort will continue many years with 
proper care, and the plants will grow to be a foot high or 
more; but, when they are fo tall, the lower part of them 
is not fo lightly, their green being decayed, and the (pines 
changed to a dark dirty colour, they appear as if dead, 
fo that the upper part of thefe old plants only leem to 
have life; whereas the plants of the middling fize appear 
healthy from top to bottom. In the fpring, when the 
fruit (hrivels and becomes dry, the feeds will be ripe, and 
may then be rubbed out, and fown upon the furface of 
the earth in fmall pots, which (hould be plunged into a hot¬ 
bed of tanners’ bark to bring up the plants. In the child- 
ing variety, the young offsets may be taken off, and after 
laying them to dry for two or three days, may be planted, 
and will fucceed very well. 
The great fort may be propagated by feeds ; but, as 
the plants which are railed from feeds in England will 
be fome years in arriving to any confiderable fize, it will 
be much the bell way to procure fome plants from the 
Weft Indies ; and if the plants arrive here in any of the 
Cummer months, fo as that there may be time for them to 
get new root before the cold comes on in autumn, the 
plants will more certainly fucceed. When the plants come 
over, it will be proper to take them out of the earth as 
foon as poflible, and lay them in the (love upon the (helves, 
to dry for a fortnight or three weeks; and, when they are 
planted, they (hould be plunged into a good warm bed of 
tanners’ bark, to promote their making new roots. In 
this bed they may remain till the beginning of Odlober, 
when they mud be removed into the llove, and treated 
in the manner before diredted. It lias been occafionally 
brought to England in great plenty; but the great eft part 
of the plants has been often dellroyed by giving them too 
much water fo as to rot them. Whoever propofes to bring 
them from abroad, (hould be very careful to take up their 
roots as entire as poflible, and to plant them in tubs filled 
with (tones and rubbifli, mixing very little earth. There 
(hould be feveral pretty large holes bored through the 
bottom of the tubs, to let the moifture pals off; and, if 
the plants be fet in the tubs a month before they are put 
on-board the (hip, they will in that time have made new 
roots. This will be the moft fecure method to have them 
fucceed ; but, during their continuance in the country, 
they ftiot’ld have no water given them; and, after they 
are on-board the fiiip, they muft not have any moifture 
whatever ; it will be a good method to cover the plants 
with tarpaulins, to keep oft' the (pray of the fea in' bad 
weather ; and to expofe them at all times to tire open air 
when tire fea is calm. By obferving thefe diredlions, the 
plants may be brought to England in good health, during 
the fumnier' leafon. The plants require a very good (love 
to preferve them through the winter in England, nor 
(hould they be expofed to the open air in funimer; for, 
although they may continue fair to outward appearance, 
when they have been fome time expofed abroad, yet they 
will imbibe moifture, which will c a life them to rot foon 
after they are removed into the (love. And this is fre¬ 
quently the cafe of thofe plants which are brought from 
abroad, which have a fair healthy appearance many times 
at their firft arrival, but foon after decay, and this wilL 
happen very fuddenly. Scarcely any appearance of dif- 
order will be feen till the whole plant is killed ; which, 
in a few hours time, has often been the fate ol thofe 
plants, when they have been placed in the (love. If thefe 
plants are plunged into a hot-bed of tanners’ bark in fum- 
mer, it will greatly forward them in their growth ; but, 
when this is pradtifed, there (hould be fcarcely any water- 
given to the plants, for the moifture which they will'im- 
bibe from the fermentation of the tan will be fufticient 
for them, and more would caufe them - to rot. The heft 
method 
