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Show sr6 The Hi}Jory of P L A N T S. COLUMN EA. T H E calyx is divided into five fegments : the upper lip of the corolla is arch d and_ undivided: the fruit is a globofe berry, containing two cells, and in ea~h feveral feeds. It is an American, defcribed by Plumier, 39· The charaClers fufficiently diftinguilh it. C L E R 0 D E N D R U M. T H E calyx is of a campanulated form, and divided into five fegments . the tub · . . of the corolla is filiform: the Ii~b is divided into five equal fegments': the fia~ mma are extreamly long; they fl:and Wide apart between the fegments of the co 11 . the fi-uit is a berry. Of this there is but one known fpecies. ro a · C L E R 0 D E N D R U M. _The root is yellow and fibrated : the iliru b rifes to three feet .high ; the fiem is bnttle, and appears fqua~e : the leaves , are four inches long, and three broad: the flowe.rs fiand _on long ped1des at the tops of the branches; they are large and white. It Is a native of Malabar, and is defcribed in the Hort. Mal. under the name f Perager. o VOLKAMERIA. '..J T f-! ~ ~alyx.is d.iv.idedinto ~ve fegments: the tube of the coroll~ is capillary, and Its ltmb ~s .divided . alfo mto five equal fegments: the fl:amina are long and fepar~te ; the fr?1t IS a dry capfule, containing two feeds. . It 1s an Amencan. The charaCters fufficiently dillinguilh it.· ,· . t VI TEX. T HE calyx is termina~ed by five _in?entings : the corolla is divided into fix fegments at the extremtty ; the frUit IS a berry, containing four feeds. Vitex Joliis angujlioribus. The narrower-leaved Vitex. The root is brachiated; the ihrub rifes to four or fix feet high. the bark · · 11... h 1 11. d 1 . , IS greyzUJ ; t e eave_s ~tan on ong pedicles, and are divided deeply into five fegments, fo as to appea~ d1g1tat':d : the flowers are fmall and reddilh ; they fiand in fpikes. It Is. a na.t1ve of France. C. Bauhine calls it, Vitex foliis angufl:ioribus cannabis more dzfpofius. The other fpecies are,. I. The narrow-leaved Vitex, with fmall, blue flowers. 2 , The broad-leaved, ferrated V1tex. 3· The dwarf, very narrow-leaved Vitex. ACANTHUS. T HE. calyx is compofed of three pairs of leaves: the corolla has but one lip wh1ch IS bent downward, and divided into four fegm~nts : the capfule cont~in; two cells. · Acanthus foliis Jinuatis inermi6us. · ' llt:OUtmon The Acanthus, with jinuated leaves, without P':ickles. l!5t nt'.S:::btttcb. fl: ITk~e root is oblong, thick, and :fibrated; the plant rifes to three feet high· the fa bIS rou.n d ' ·green , an d th"t c k : t h e Ie aves are ten inches long and four or five w' ide O daft ea:dU~Iful gr~en, and deeply ~nuated at the edges: the flow~rs are large and white: an an m a fp1ke at the top of the fialk. - ( It The Hijlory of P L A N T S. It is a native of _Italy. C. Bauhine _calls it, Acanthus fativus, five Mollis Virgilii. The other fpectes are, I. The pnckly Acanthus. 2. The Acanthus with few r: • ) J and thofe ihort, 1pmes. Clafs the Fourteenth. Order the Second. Divijion the Fourth. Didynamia Angiojpermia, with corollce compofed of numerous petals. M E L I A N T H U S. . THE calyx is compofed of five leaves, the lower one of which is gibbous: the coro1la is compofed of four petals, and has a nectarium between the two lowefl: : the fruit is a capfule containing four cells. · Melianthus foliis pinnatis, folio/is ferratis. The pinnated-leaved Melianthus, with ferrated pinnt;tlce. The root is oblong, woody, flender, and fibrated : the plant grows to fix inches high : the leaves ftand on long pedicles; they are compofed of feveral pairs of pinnre, w hich are fhort, broad, ferrated, and obtufely pointed : the flowe rs fl:and in fpikes» of . a brownilh colour, and three quarters of an inch long, and have a quantity of a fweet honey-juice at their bafe. I t is a native of Virginia. Tournefort calls it, Melianthus Americanus minor. The other fpecies are, 1 . The great, Afi:ican, fpiked Melianthus. 2. T he procumbent, pimpernel-leaved, African Melianthus. Clafs the Fifteenth. T E T R A D Y N A M I A. P !ants which have in every flower four e./ftcacious flamina. T HIS clafs comprehends the H erba:! flore cruciformi of Tournefort, and the Herbre tetrapetalre filiquofre et filiculofre of Ray.- The claffical charaCter lhall be delivered here at large, as in the former clafs, and the difiinClive characters only mentioned under the feveral genera, as in that clafs: the common charaCters of them all may, therefore, be referred to in this place. The calyx is an oblong perianthium, compofed of four leaves ; thefc are of an oblong, oval figure, hollow, obtufe, and connivent; they are decid uous ; the oppofi te ones are equal, and the bafe is gibbous downwards : the calyx is, in this clafs, the nectarium, and it is, therefore, that it is made gibbous in this part. T he corolla confifts of· four petals, equal in fize, and arranged in form of a crofs: their 'ungues are planofubulate, ereCt, and fomewhat longer than the calyx : the limb is plane; the braetere are broadeft in the outer part, and are obtufe, and fcarce touch one another at the fides : the infer tion of the petals is in the fame circle with the ftamina. The fl:amina are fix ereCt, fubulated fi laments : two of thefe, placed oppofi te, are of the length of the cup; the other four are fomething longer, and are, however, iliorter than the corolla : the antherre are oblong, and acuminated; they are thickeft at the bafe, ereCt, and have their apices turned outward s. The gland of the neetarium is very varioufly formed , and fi tuated, in the different genera; it is affixed often to the bafe of the fiamina, particularly of the two ihorter ones, and they are often bent fo as not to prefs upon it ; and, from that circumftance alone, become fhorter than the others. T he germen is fituated on the receptacle, and grows continually longer and longer : there is either no Hyle, or one that is of the length of the longer O.amioa : ~he fi igma is obtufe. T he fruit is a pod, compofe d of two valves, and ofcen containing two cells ; it fplits, when ripe, from the apex to the bafe, and has often the difilpimentum prominent at it's apex, beyond the valves : this has before performed the office of a fiyle. The feeds are round and nutant; they are arranged alternately and longitudinally in the pods : the 6 Q_ receptacle |