in botany; a genus of the polygamia æqualis order, belonging to the syngena clafs of plants. The receptacle is naked; the pappus hairy; the calyx cylindrical, oblong, and caliculated, or having a small calyx of very short scales only at the base.

Species. 1. The fuavelens, with a herbaceous stalk, is a native of North America. It hath a perennial creeping root which sends out many stalks, garnished with triangular spear-shaped leaves sharply sawed on their edges, of a pale green on their under side, but a deep shining green above, placed alternately. The stalks rise to the height of seven or eight feet, and are terminated by umbels of white flowers, which are succeeded by oblong seeds covered with down. It flowers in August, and the seeds ripen in October. The stalks decay in autumn, and new ones rise in the spring. This plant multiplies greatly by its spreading roots, as also by the seeds, which are spread to a great distance by the wind, the down which adheres to them being greatly afflicting to their conveyance. The roots which have been cast out of Chelsea garden, being carried by the tide to a great distance, have fixed themselves to the banks of the river, and increased so much, that in a few years this species may probably appear as a native of England. 2. The ficoides is a native of the Cape of Good Hope. It rises with strong round stalks to the height of seven or eight feet, woody at bottom, but soft and succulent upward, sending out many irregular branches, garnished more than half their length with thick, taper, succulent leaves, a little compressed on two sides, ending in points, covered with a whitish glaucous farina, which comes off when handled. These, when broken, emit a strong odour of turpentine, and are full of a viscid juice; at the extremity of the branches the flowers are produced in small umbels; they are white, tubulous, and cut into five parts at the top. The leaves of this plant are pickled by the French, who esteem them much; and in doing this they have a method of preserving the white farina upon them, which adds greatly to the beauty of the pickle when brought to table. 3. The kleinia, with a compound shrubby stalk, grows naturally in the Canary islands, but has long been cultivated in the English gardens. It rises with a thick fleshy stem divided at certain distances, as it were, into so many joints. Each of these divisions swell much larger in the middle than they do at each end; and the stalks divide into many irregular branches of the same form, which, toward their extremities, are garnished with long, narrow, spear-shaped leaves of a glaucous colour, standing all round the stalks without order. As they fall off, they leave a fear at the place, which always remains on the branches. The flowers are produced in large clusters at the extremity of the branches, which are tubulous, and of a faint carnation colour. They appear in August and September, but continue great part of October, and are not succeeded by seeds in this country. There have been stones and fossils dug up at a very great depth in some parts of England having very perfect impressions of this plant upon them; from whence Dr Woodward has supposed the plants were lodged there at the universal deluge; and finding the impressions of many other plants and animals which are natives of those islands, he concludes that the water flowed hither from the south-west. This plant has been called the cabbage-tree, from the resemblance which the stalk of it has to the cabbage: others have intitled it carnation-tree, from the shape of the leaves and the colour of the flowers. Besides these, there are seven other species, viz., the alpina, with kidney-shaped leaves; the glabra, with smooth leaves; the atriplicifolia, with heart-shaped incised leaves; the papillaris, with a shrubby stalk guarded on every side with broken rough footstalks; the aute-euphorbium, with oblong oval leaves; the fonchifolia, with lyre-shaped indented leaves; and the lutea, with leaves divided into five acute parts.

Culture. The three species described above are very easily propagated. The first will propagate itself, as already mentioned, either by roots or seeds. The second is easily propagated by cuttings during the summer months: these should be cut from the plants and laid to dry a fortnight, that the wound may be healed over before they are planted. Most people plunge the pots in which these are planted into a hot-bed, to promote their putting out roots; but if planted in June or July, they will root as well in the open air. Even branches broken off by accident have frequently put out roots when fallen on the ground, without any care. These branches may be kept six months out of the ground, and will take root if planted. This should have a light sandy earth, and in winter be placed in an airy glass-case, where they may enjoy the sun and air in mild weather, but must be protected from frost. During the winter season the plants must have but little water; and in summer, when they are placed in the open air, it should not be given to them too often, nor in great quantity. The third is also propagated by cuttings, and the plants require the same culture; but must have a dry warm glass-case in winter, and very little water, being subject to rot with wet. In summer they must be placed in the open air in a warm sheltered situation, and in very dry weather refreshed moderately with water. With this management the plants will flower annually, and grow to the height of eight or ten feet.

CAACOON. See THEOBROMA.