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 THe common kinde of Chamaepitys or Ground-Pine is a small herbe and very tender, cree∣ping vpon the ground, hauing small and crooked branches trailing about. The leaues be small, narrow and hairy, in sauour like the Firre or Pine tree; but if my sence of smelling be per∣fect, me thinkes it is rather like vnto the smell of hempe. The floures be little, of a pale yellow co∣lour, and sometimes white: the root is small and single, and of a wooddy substance.

† 2 The second hath pretty strong foure square ioynted stalkes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and hairy; from which grow pretty large hairy leaues much clouen or cut: the floures are of a purple colour, and grow about the stalks in roundles like the dead Nettle: the seed is black and round, and the whole plant sauoureth like the former: ‡ which sheweth this to be fitly referred to the Chamaepytis, and not to be well called Chamaedrys 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or Iagged Germander, as some haue named it. ‡

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1 Chamaepitys mas. The male ground Pine.

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2 Chamaepitys foemina. The female ground-Pine.

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3 Chamaepitys 3. Dodon. Small Ground-Pine.

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4 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a muscata Monspeliaca. French Herbe-Iuy or Ground-Pine.

3 This kinde of Herb-Iuy, growing for the most part about Montpelier in France, is the least of all his kind, hauing smal white and yellow floures, in smell and proportion like vnto the others, but much smaller.

† 4 There is a wilde or bastard kinde of Chamaepitys, or ground-Pine, that hath leaues some∣what like vnto the second kinde, but not iagged in that manner, but onely snipt about the edges. The root is somewhat bigger, wooddy, whitish, and bitter, and like vnto the root of Succorie. All this herbe is very rough, and hath a strong vnpleasant smell, not like that of the ground-Pines.

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‡ 5 Chamaepitys spuria altera Dodon. Bastard Ground-Pine.

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‡ 6 Chamaepitys Austriaca. Austrian Ground-Pine.

† 5 There is another kind that hath many small and tender branches beset with little leaues for the most part three together, almost like the leaues of the ordinarie ground-Pine: at the top of which branches grow slender white floures; which being turned vpside downe, or the lower part vpward, do somewhat resemble the floures of Lamium: the seeds grow commonly foure together in a cup, and are somewhat big and round: the root is thicke, whitish, and long lasting.

6 There groweth in Austria a kinde of Chamaepitys, which is a most braue and rare plant, and of great beautie, yet not once remembred either of the ancient or new Writers, vntill of late that fa∣mous Carolus Clufius had set it forth in his Pannonicke Obseruations; who for his singular skil and industrie hath woon the garland from all that haue written before his time. This rare and strange plant I haue in my garden, growing with many square stalkes of halfe a foot high, beset euen from the bottome to the top with leaues so like our common Rosemary, that it is hard for him which doth not know it exactly to finde the difference; being greene aboue, and somwhat hairy and hoa∣rie vnderneath: among which come forth round about the stalkes (after the manner of roundles or coronets) certain small cups or chalices of a reddish colour; out of which come the floures like vnto Archangell in shape, but of a most excellent and stately mixed colour, the outside purple declining to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and sometimes of a violet colour. The floure gapeth like the mouth of a beast, and hath as it were a white tongue; the lower and vpper iawes are white likewise, spotted with many bloudy spots: which being past, the seeds appeare very long, of a shining blacke co∣lour, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in order in the small huskes as the Chamaepitys spuria. The root is blacke and hard, with ma∣nie hairy strings fastned thereto.