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 first of the Cuckow floures hath leaues at his springing vp somwhat round, and those that spring afterward grow iagged like the leaues of Greeke Valerian: among which ri∣seth vp a stalke a foot long, set with the like leaues, but smaller, and more iagged, re∣sembling those of Rocket. The floures grow at the top in small bundles, white of colour, hollow in the middle, resembling the white sweet-Iohn: after which do come small chaffie husks or seed vessels, wherein the seed is contained. The root is small and threddy.

2 The second sort of Cuckow floures hath small iagged leaues like those of small water Va∣lerian, agreeing with the former in stalkes and roots: the floures be white, ouerdasht or declining toward a light carnation.

‡ 3 The leaues and stalks of this are like those of the last described; neither are the floures which first shew themselues much vnlike them; but when as they begin to faile, in their middle rise vp heads of pretty double floures made of many leaues, like in colour to these of the single. ‡

4 The fourth sort of Cuckow Floures groweth creeping vpon the ground, with small threddy stalkes, whereon do grow leaues like those of the field Clauer, or three leaued Grasse: amongst which do come vp small and tender stalkes two handfulls high, hauing floures at the top in grea∣ter quantitie than any of the rest, of colour white; and after them follow cods containing a small seed. The root is nothing else but as it were a bundle of thrums or threds.

5 Milke white Lady-smocke hath stalkes rising immediately from the root, diuiding them∣selues into sundry small twiggy and hard branches, set with leaues like those of Serpillum. The floures grow at the top, made of foure leaues of a yellowish colour: the root is tough and woody, with some fibres annexed thereto. ‡ This is no other than the first described, differing onely therefrom in that the floures are milke white, as our Author truly in the title of his figure made them; yet forgetting himselfe in his description, he makes them yellowish, contrarie to himselfe and the truth. ‡

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1 Cardamine. Cuckow floures.

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2 Cardamine altera. Ladies-smocks.

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‡ 3 Cardamine altera flore pleno. Double floured Lady-smocke.

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4 Cardamine Trifolia. Three leaued Lady-smocke.

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6 Cardamine Alpina. Mountaine Lady-Smocke.

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‡ 7 Sium minus impatiens. The impatient Lady-smocke.

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8 Cardamine pumila Bellidis folio Alpina. The Dwarfe Dasie-leaued Lady∣smocke of the Alpes.

6 Mountaine Lady-smocke hath many roots, nothing else but as it were a bundle of threddy strings, from the which do come 〈◊〉〈◊〉 three or foure small weak or tender leaues made of sundry small leaues, in shew like to those of small water Valerian. The stalkes be small and brittle, whereupon doe grow small floures like the first kinde.

‡ 7 I should be blame-worthy if in this place I omitted that pretty conditioned Sium which is kept in diuers of our London gardens, and was first brought hither by that great Treasurer of Natures rarieties, M. Iohn Tradescani. This plant hath leaues set many vpon a rib, like as the other Sium described in the second place hath; but they are cut in with two or three prety 〈◊〉〈◊〉 gashes: the stalk is some cubit high, & diuided into many branches, which haue many small white floures growing vpon them: after these floures are past there follow small long 〈◊〉〈◊〉 containing a small white seed. Now the nature of this plant is such, that if you touch but the cods when as the seed is ripe, though you do it neuer so gently, yet will the seed fly all abroad with violence, as disdaining to be touched: whence they vsually call it Noli me tangere; as they for the like qualitie name the Persicaria si∣liquosa. The nature of this plant is somewhat admirable, for if the seeds (as I said) be fully

ripe, though you put but your hand neere them, as profering to touch them, though you doe it not, yet will they fly out vpon you, and if you expect no such thing, perhaps make you affraid by reason of the suddennesse thereof. This herbe is written of onely by Prosper Alpinus, vnder the title of Sium Minimum: and it may be called in English, Impatient Lady-smocke, or Cuckow floure. It is an annuall, and yeerely sowes it selfe by the falling seeds. ‡

‡ 8 The leaues of this somewhat resemble those of Dasyes, but lesse, and lie spread vpon the ground, amongst which rises vp a weake and slender stalke set with 3 or 4 leaues at certaine di∣stances, it being some handful high, the top is adorned with smal white floures consisting of foure leaues apeece, after which follow large and long cods, considering the smallnes of the plant; with∣in these in a double order is conteined a small reddish seed, of somewhat a biting taste. The root creepes vpon the top of the ground, putting vp new buds in diuers places. Clusius found this grow∣ing vpon the rockes on the Etscherian mountaine in Austria, and hath giuen vs the history and fi∣gure thereof vnder the name of Plantula Cardamines emula, and Sinapi pumulum Alpinum.