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Show Tbe Hiflory of P L A N T S. I. Mifembryanthemum vejiculis hifpidum, foliis alternis. ovatis obtujis 'undulatis. Tbe bli)lery, alternate, . oval, obtuje, and undulated-leaved Mifembryanthemttm. · The roo.t is fibrofe and white; the ftalk is round, fucculent, variouily div(\ricatcd, and of a pale green ; the leaves are fhort, obtufe, und.u~ated, and fuc~uleot: thefe and the fialks are br;:autifully fpangled, with vefitles contamm~ a ·dear flmd, and much refembling little pieces of ice: the flowers ar~ numerous, fmall,. an~ red. . It is a native of Africa, but is common m our fioves. Dtllemus calls tt, Mefcmbryanthemum cryfl:allinum Plantaginis folio undulate. 2. Mifembryanthemum Joliis alternis teretibus obtujis. jflOlbttltt{t The alternate, cylindric, and obtuje-leaved Mefembryanthemum. 1LUHt. The root is oblong, ilender, yellowilh, and furoilhed with a few fibres; from the head of this rife two thick, flefhy, broad leaves, which lie flat on the ground, or are but little raifed from it. From the center of thefe rife two others of a finger's length, fomewhat furrowed and roundiih, and thick at the ends: from thefe rife feve ral more pairs of the like leaves, and at length the ftalks ; thefe are ilender, rounded, an d procumbeot, or but little erect: the leaves fiand alternately on them, and are rounded or cylindric, and obtufe at the points : the flowers fiand in the alre of thefe, on thick ·pedicles ; they are white ; the antherre yellow. · It is a native of Egypt, and of {orne of the fouthern parts of Europe; it grows on the fea-lbores. C. Bauhine calls it, Kali craffulre minoris folio; Columna, Kali Neapolitanum Aizoides. The other fpecies are very numerous ; the more fingulaF and diftinll: are, I. The cylindric-leaved, cape Mefembryanthemum. 2. The tripolium-leaved, filvery-flowered Mefembryanthemum. 3. The five-leaved, procumbent, fcarlet-flowered Mefembryanthemuin. 4; The yellow-flowered, conjugate, linguiform-leaved Mefembryanthcmum. 5· The fmooth, arcuated-leaved Mefembryanthemum. 6. The CQ[d-leaved Mefembryanthemum. 7. The purple, triangular, acute-leaved ~Iefembryanthe mo m. 8 .. The long, triquetrous-leaved, yellow-flowered .lYiefembryanthemum. 9· The thtck and fcarlet Mefembryanthemum. MESPILUS. I T HE c~l~x is~ permanent perianth.ium, formed of a fingle leaf: concavo-patent, . and dt~tded ulto five fegrnents : the corolla confifls of five roundi01, hollow petals, mferted mto the calyx: the fiamina are twenty fubulated filaments, inferted into the calyx ; the antherre are fimple; the germen fiands under the receptacle : the flyles are five, fimple and ere~ ; the fi!gmata are capitated : the fruit is a globofe, umbilicated berry, crowned with a conmvent cup, but with the umbilicus almoil: perforated: the feeds are five; they are oifeou~ and gibbous. I. Mejpilus foliis lanceolatis int~errimis jubtus tomentojis, calycibtts acuminatis. 1tbt <!OHUltOtt The lcmceolated, undivided-leaved Me/pilus, with actt- illt)t:Oiat. minated cups. The root is large and ~rachiated; the tree grows to no great height, but is ramofe; the leayes are oblong, pomted at the ends, fomewhat hairy on the upper fur facc, and more fo underneath : the flowers fiand fingly; they are large and white: the fru it is Luge, and of a brown colour. It ~s a native ?f Ge:many~ and is common in our gardens. C. Bauhine calls it, Mefp1lus Germam~a folto laurmo, non ferrato, five Mefpilus vulgaris. T he other fpectes of this genus are, r. The laciniated-leaved Mefp il us. 2. The pear- Tbe Hiflory of fP ~ A ~ T s~ 459 pear-leaved Virginian Mefpilus. 3· The almond-leaved, ptickly Mefpilus. 4• The trilobate-leaved Mefpilus. 5· The ronnder-leaved Mefpilus. · · PYRUS. T HE calyx is a permanent perianthiam, cdtnpo'fed of a lingle leaf hollow ahd divided ~nto five. patent fegments : the corolla confifl:s of five la~ge, rou~di{h, hollow. petals, mferted mto the calyx: the il:amina are twenty fubulated .filam·ents, inferted mto the calyx, and ihorter than the corolla : t~e anther:I! are fimple; the germen .fiands under the receptacle; the il:yles are five, fihfo'rm, and of the length of the ftamma; the il:igmata are fimple ;· the fr~it is an umbilicated apple of a figp.re approaching to round, flelhy, and containing five cells, formed by membranes; the feeds are oblong, obtufe, acuminated at the bafe, convex on one fide, and plane 011 the other. This genus comprehends the Pyrus, the Malus, and the Cydonia: of authors: all rhe kinds of pear, the apple, and the quince. It is wonderful, that authors h<tve not attended to the perfeCt fimilarity of the characters in all thefe. 1'hey have for want of a due precifion, raifed varieties into fpecies, and fpecies into genera. , I. Pyrus foliis Jerratis, pomis 6aji produElis. The Pyrus, with Jerrated leaves, and lengthe-ned fruit 1I:be l!tnr::: . trcr. The root is long and thick ; the trunk large; the' tree confiderably hign, <\nd it's branches naturall~ ereCt : the leaves are placed alternately; they are roundiih, or {ornewhat oblong, th1ck, and nave long pedides: the flowers an~ large and white . the fruit is naturally roundiil1, but lengthened at the bafe. ' It is a native of Germany ; our gardens afford infinite variGties of it from culture. Authors call it,· Pyrus fat iva Bergamotta, and Bona Cnrifl:iarla. 2. Pyrus foHisferratis, pomis baji concavis. The Jerrated-leaved Pyrus, with fruit hollowed at the bafe. 3tbt ~pPlt= trtr. . The root is (preading; the trunk thick; the tr~e low, atld the branches ufually honzontal .o~· obltqoe : the leaves are large, roundtlh, but pointed at the end, ferrated and whttlih underneath : the flowers am large and white, or reddi'(h : the fruit roundiih, and not lengthened, but hollowed,, at the bafe. It is a native of all EtHope ; we have infinite variety of the fruit in our gardens, owing folely to culture. The crab is the origin of all. 3. Pyrus foliis integerrimis fo!Jrotundis fobtus inca'nis . The Pyrus, with roundijh, undivided leaves, hoary underneath. 11: c !Outnrt.:: ttc . The root is divided. and fpreading.; the ttee is low, a:nd the bark brownifh ; the leaves are large, roundtfh, of a deep green, often covered with a downy, loofe matter entirely, always hoary underheath : t~e ~owers fl:and fingly, and a,rc large, beautiful, and of a pale fle01 colour : the fnut 1s large, lengthened at the bafe and coro-nated with a long cup at the fummit. ' It is a native of Germany. All the botanical w~·iters ~fll it, Malus Cydonia and Cotonea. The authors, who have wrote on gardenmg, have made an almo£1: infi ni re number of imaginary fpecies, from the varieties of thefe three; but it is not the bufinefs of botanical writers to meddle with them. S P I R lE A. T II E calyx is a permanent perianthium, formed of a fingle leaf, plane at the bafe and lightly divided into five acute fegments : the corolla confifl:s of five roundif11' pbnc p~ta ls , ink rtcd into the calyx; the fiamina arc twenty fubulated filaments, in~ fertecl mto th .. calyx, . and lborter than the corolla : the anthem>. are roundifh ; the germin |