¶ The Description.
1 THe stalkes of Tutsan be straight, round, chamfered or crested, hard and wooddy, being for the most part two foot high. The leaues are three or foure times bigger than those of S. Iohns wort, which be at the first greene; afterwards, and in the end of Sommet of a dark red colour: out of which is pressed a iuyce not like blacke bloud, but Claret or Gascoigne wine. The floures are yellow, and greater than those of S. Peters wort; after which ri∣seth vp a little round head or berry, first greene, afterwards red, last of all blacke, wherein is con∣tained yellowish red seed. The root is hard, wooddy, and of long continuance.
‡ 2 This (which Dodonaeus did not vnfitly call Ruta syluestris Hypericoides, and which others haue set forth for Androsaemum, and our Author the last chapter saue one affirmed to be the true 〈◊〉〈◊〉, though here it seemes he had either altered his minde, or forgot what he formerly wrot) may fitly stand in competition with the last described, which may passe in the first place for the Androsaemum of the Antients; for adhuc sub judice lis est. I will not here insist vpon the point of con∣trouersie, but giue you a description of the plant, which is this: It sends vp round slender reddish stalkes some two cubits high, set with fewer yet bigger leaues than the ordinarie S. Iohns Wort, and these also more hairy: the floures and seeds are like those of the common S. Iohns wort, but somewhat larger. It growes in some mountainous and wooddy places, and in the Aduersaria it is called Androsaemum excellentius, seu magnum: and by Dodonaeus (as we but now noted) Ruta syluestris Hypericoides, thinking it to be the Ruta syluestris which is described by Dioscorides, lib. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. cap. 48. in the old Greeke edition of Manutius, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And in that of Marcellus Virgilius his Interpretati∣on, in the chapter and booke but now mentioned; but reiected amongst the Notha in the Paris E∣dition Anno 1549. You may finde the description also in Dodonaeus, Pempt. primae, lib. 3. cap. 25, whither I refer the curious, being loath here to insist further vpon it. ‡