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 small Sneese-woort hath many round and brittle branches, beset with long and narrow leaues, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 about the edges like a saw; at the tops of the stalks do grow small single floures like the wilde field Daisie. The root is tender and full of strings, creeping far abroad in the earth, and in short time occupieth very much ground: the whole plant is sharpe, biting the tongue and mouth like Pellitorie of Spaine, for which cause some haue called it wilde Pellitorie. The smell of this plant procureth sneesing, whereof it tooke the name 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that is the herbe which doth procure sneesing, or Neesewoort.

2 Double floured Sneesewoort, or Ptarmica, is like vnto the former in leaues, stalks, and roots, so that vnlesse you behold the floure, you cannot discerne the one from the other, and it is excee∣ding white, and double like vnto double Fetherfew. This plant is of great beautie, and if it be cut downe in the time of his flouring, there will come within a month after a supplie or crop of floures fairer than the rest.

[illustration]

1 Ptarmica. Sneesewoort.

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2 Ptarmica duplici flore. Double floured Sneeswoort.

3 There is also another kind hereof, of exceeding great beauty, hauing long leaues somewhat narrow like those of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tree: the stalks are of a cubit high, on the top whereof doe growe verie beautifull floures of the bignes of a small single Marygold, consisting of fifteene or sixteene large leaues, of a bright shining red colour tending to purple; set about a ball of thrummie substance, such as is in the middle of the Daisie, in manner of a pale; which floures stand in scalie knops like those of Knapweed, or Matfellon. The root is straight, and thrusteth deepe into the ground.

‡ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Imperati; an 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 species Clus. Cur. post. p. 32.

4 This riseth vp with a small hard tough cornered whitish woolly stalke, diuided into many

branches, and those againe diuided into other branches like those of Cyanus about two foot high, wherein grow long narrow whitish Cot∣tonie leaues out of order, of a bitter taste, whi∣ter below than aboue, of the colour of the leaues of Wormwood, hauing but one rib or sinew & that in the middle of the leafe, and commonly turne downewards: on the top of each slender branch groweth one small scalie head or knap, like that of Cyanus, which bringeth forth a pale purple floure without smell, containing sixe, seuen, eight, or more, smal hard drie sharp poin∣ted leaues: in the middle whereof groweth ma∣ny stiffe chiues, their tops being of the colour of the floures: these floures fall not away till the whole hearbe perisheth, but change into a rustie colour: amongst those chiues grow long flat blackish seed, with a little beard at the top. The root is small, whitish, hard and threddie, and perisheth when the seed is ripe, and soone springeth vp by the fall of the seede, and re∣maineth greene all the Winter, and at the Spring sendeth foorth a stalke as aforesaid. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 touched or rubbed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 forth a pleasant 〈◊〉〈◊〉 smell. Iuly 26. 1620. Iohn Goodyer. ‡

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3 Ptarmica Austriaca. Sneesewoort of Austrich.