The herball or Generall historie of plantes. Gathered by Iohn Gerarde of London Master in Chirurgerie very much enlarged and amended by Thomas Iohnson citizen and apothecarye of London

¶ The Description.

1 DAmes Violets or Queenes Gillofloures, haue great large leaues of a darke greene co∣lour, somewhat snipt about the edges: among which spring vp 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the height of

two cubits, set with such like leaues: the floures come forth at the tops of the branches, of a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 purple colour, verie like those of the stocke Gillofloures, of a very 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, after which come vp long cods, wherein is contained small long blackish seed. The root is slender and threddie.

The Queenes white Gillofloures are like the last before remembred, sauing that this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bringeth forth faire white floures, and the other purple.

‡ 2 By the industrie of some of our Florists, within this two or three yeares hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 brought to our knowledge a very beautifull kinde of these Dame Violets, hauing very faire dou∣ble white floures, the leaues, stalks and roots, are like to the other plants before described. ‡

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1 Viola Matronalis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 purpureo, sive albo. Purple, or white Dames Violets.

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‡ 3 Viola matronalis 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Russet Dames Violets.

‡ 3 This plant hath a stalke a cubit high, and is diuided into many branches, vpon which in a confused order grow leaues like those of the Dame Violet, yet a little broader and thicker, being first of somewhat an acide, and afterwards of an acride taste; at the tops of the branches in long cups grow floures like those of the Dames violet, consisting of foure leaues, which stand not faire open, but are twined aside, and are of a ouerworn russet colour, composed as it were of a yellow and browne with a number of blacke purple veines diuaricated ouer them. Their smell on the day time is little or none, but in the euening very pleasing and sweet. The floures are succeeded by long, and here and there swolne cods, which are almost quadrangular and containe a reddish seed like that of the common kinde. The root is fibrous, and vsually liues not aboue two yeares, for af∣ter it hath borne seed it dies; yet if you cut it downe and keepe it from seeding, it sometimes puts forth shouts whereby it may bee increased. I very much suspect that this figure and description which I here giue you taken out of Clusius, is no other plant than that which is kept in some of our gardens, and set soorth in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by the name of Leucoium Melancholicum: now I iudge the occasion of this error to haue come from the figure of Clusius which we here present you with, for it is in many particulars different from the description: first in that it expresses not ma∣ny branches. secondly, in that the leaues are not snipt & diuided: thirdly, in that the Floures are not exprest wrested or twined: fourthly, the veins are not rightly exprest in the floure; & lastly, the cods are omitted. Now the Leucoium melancholicum hath a hairy stalke diuided into sundry branches of the height formerly mentioned, and the leaues about the middle of the stalke are somewhat 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or deepely or vnequally cut in; the shape and colour of the floure is the same with that now

[illustration]

‡ 4 Leucoium melancholicum. The Melancholly floure.

described, and the seed vessels the same, as far as I remember: for I must consesse, I did not in writing take any particular note of them though I haue diuers times seene them, neither did I euer compare them with this description of Clusius; onely I tooke some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 agone an exact figure of a branch with the vpper leaues and floures, whereof one is exprest as they vsu∣ally grow twining backe, and the rest faire open, the better to set forth the veines that are spred ouer it. There are also exprest a cod or seede vessell, and one of the leaues that grow about the middle of the stalke; all which are agreeable to Clusius descrip∣tion in mine opinion; wherefore I onely giue you the figure that I then drew, with he title that I had it by. ‡