(from Jacobus Barelier at Paris, a famous botanist), Snap-dragon; a genus of the angiospermia order, belonging to the didynamia class of plants.

Species. 1. The folianfolia, with spear-shaped indented leaves, rises with upright square stalks three feet high, garnished with two leaves at every joint; above which the flowers come out in whorls surrounding the stalks; and under each whorl there are six sharp spines, which are as long as the empalement of the flowers. The joints are about three inches distance, and the flowers are blue. 2. The prionites, with spines growing by fours on the side of the branches, has been long in the gardens of the curious in Holland, but is only introduced into Britain of late. This sends out many slender stems from the root, which rise eight or nine feet high, garnished with oval pointed leaves, two growing opposite at each joint, which are attended by four long spines standing crosswise. This plant hath not yet flowered in England, though there are large plants of it in Chelsea garden. 3. The buxifolia, with roundish entire leaves, is a native of Jamaica. It hath shrubby stalks rising five or six feet high, garnished with roundish entire leaves placed opposite, under which are placed strong spines; the flowers are produced in whorls towards the upper part of the stalk, and are succeeded by short seed-vessels containing three or four flat seeds. 4. The Coecinea is a native of the warm parts of America. The stalks are smooth, rise to the height of four feet, and are garnished with two oval indented leaves standing opposite; the flowers are of a scarlet colour, and placed in whorls at the joints of the stalks. They appear in July, August, and September, and are succeeded by short pods inclosing flat seeds.

Culture. All these plants, being natives of very warm countries, require to be kept in a stove, and must be treated like other tender exotics. The roots of the first species will continue three or four years; but after the second year, the plants grow too rambling, and the lower parts of the branches become naked; they should therefore be turned out every two years. This species is propagated by seeds. The second hath flexible perennial stalks, which if cut off during the summer months, and made into lengths of six or eight inches, will