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 ENglish Cudweed hath sundry slender and vpright stalkes diuided into many bran∣ches, and groweth as high as common Wormwood, whose colour and shape it doth much resemble. The leaues shoot from the bottome of the turfe ful of haires, in shape somewhat like a Willow leafe below, but aboue they be narrower, and like the leaues of Psyllium or Flea-wort: among which do grow small pale coloured floures like those of the small Coniza or Flea-bane. The whole plant is of a bitter taste.

2 The second being our common Gnaphalium or Cudweed is a base or low herbe, nine or ten inches long, hauing many small stalks or tender branches, and little leaues, couered all ouer with a certain white cotton or fine wooll, and very thick: the floures be yellow, and grow like buttons at the top of the stalkes.

3 The third kinde of Cudweed or Cotton-weed, being of the sea, is like vnto the other Cud∣weed last described, but is altogether smaller and lower, seldome growing much aboue a handfull high: the leaues grow thicke vpon the stalkes, and are short, flat, and very white, soft and woolly. The floures grow at the top of the stalkes in small round buttons, of colour and fashion like the other Cudweed.

4 The fourth being the Cotton-weed of the hills and stony mountains, is so exceeding white and hoary, that one would thinke it to be a plant made of wooll, which may very easily be known by his picture, without other description.

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3 Gnaphalium marinum. Sea Cudweed.

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4. 5. Gnaphalium montanum purpureum & album. White and purple mountaine Cotton-weed.

5 The fifth kinde of Cotton-weed hath leaues and stalkes like the other of his kinde, and dif∣fereth in that, that this plant beareth a bush or tuft of purple floures, otherwise it is very like.

6 The sixth is like vnto the last recited, but greater: the floures are of an exceeding bright red colour, and of an aromaticall sweet smell.

7 The seuenth kinde of Gnaphalium or Cotton-weed of Clusius his description, growes nine or ten inches high, hauing little long leaues like the small Mous-eare, woolly within, and of a hoa∣rie colour on the outside: the stalkes in like manner are very woolly, at the top whereof commeth forth a faire floure and a strange, hauing such woolly leaues bordering the floure about, that a man would thinke it to be nothing else but wooll it selfe: and in the middest of the floure come forth

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6 Gnaphalium montanum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rubens. Bright red mountaine Cotton-weed.

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† 1.1 7 Gnaphalium Alpinum. Rocke Cotton-weed.

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‡ 8 Gnaphalium Americanum. Liue for euer.

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9 Filago minor. Small Cud-weed.

sundry small heads of a pale yellow colour, like vnto the other of this kinde. The root is blacke and somewhat fibrous.

8 There is a kinde of Cotton-weed, being of greater beauty than the rest, that hath strait and vpright stalks 3 foot high or more, couered with a most soft and fine wooll, and in such plentifull manner, that a man may with his hands take it from the stalke in great quantitie: which stalke is beset with many small long and narrow leaues, greene vpon the inner side, and hoary on the other side, fashioned somewhat like the leaues of Rosemary, but greater. The floures do grow at the top of the stalkes in bundles or tufts, consisting of many small floures of a white colour, and very dou∣ble, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or as it were consisting of little siluer scales thrust close together, which doe make the same very double. When the floure hath long flourished, and is waxen old, then comes there in the middest of the floure a certaine browne yellow thrumme, such as is in the midst of the Dai∣sie: which floure being gathered when it is young, may be kept in such manner as it was gathered (I meane in such freshnesse and well liking) by the space of a whole yeare after, in your chest or elsewhere: wherefore our English women haue called it Liue-long, or Liue for euer, which name doth aptly answer his effects. ‡ Clusius receiued this plant out of England, and first set it forth by the name of Gnaphalium Americanum, or Argyrocome. ‡

9 This plant hath three or foure small grayish cottony or woolly stalkes, growing strait from the root, and commonly diuided into many little branches: the leaues be long, narrow, whitish, soft, and woolly, like the other of his kinde: the floures be round like buttons, growing very many together at the top of the stalkes, but nothing so yellow as Mouse-eare, which turne into downe, and are caried away with the winde.

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10 〈◊〉〈◊〉, siue Herba impia. Herbe impious, or wicked Cudweed.

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11 Leontopodium, siue Pes Leoninus. Lions Cudweed.

10 The tenth is like vnto the last before mentioned, in stalkes, leaues, and floures, but much larger, and for the most part those floures which appeare first are the lowest and basest, and they are ouertopt by other floures which come on younger branches, and grow higher, as children sec∣king to ouergrow or ouertop their parents, (as many wicked children do) for which cause it hath beene called Herbaimpia, that is, the wicked Herbe, or Herbe Impious.

11 The eleuenth plant comprehended vnder the title of Gnaphalium, (being without doubt a kinde thereof, as may appeare by the shape of his floures and stalks, couered ouer with a soft wool like vnto the other kindes of Cotton-weed) is an handfull high or thereabouts, beset with leaues

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† 1.2 12 Leontopodium 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Small Lyons Cudweed.

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‡ 13 Gnaphalium oblongo 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Long leaued Cudweed.

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‡ 14 Gnaphalium minus latiore 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Small broad leaued Cudweed.

like Gnaphalium Anglicum, but somewhat broader. At the top of the stalke groweth a floure of a blackish brown violet colour, beset about with rough and woolly hairie leaues, which make the whole floure to re∣semble the rough haired foot of a Lyon, of a Hare, or a Beare, or rather in mine opini∣onof a rough footed Doue. The heads of these floures when they are spred abroad carry a greater circumference than is re∣quired in so small a plant; and when the floure is faded, the seed is wrapped in such a deale of wooll that it is scarsely to be found out.

12 This small kinde of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 being likewise a kind of Cotton-weed, nei∣ther by Dioscorides or any other antient writer once remembred, hath one single stalke nine inches in height, and the leaues of Gnaphalium montanum; which leaues and stalkes are white, with a thicke hoary wool∣linesse, bearing at the top pale yellow floures like Gnaphalium montanum: the root is slender and wooddy.

‡ 13 This, which Clusius calls Gna∣phalium 〈◊〉〈◊〉 2. hath small stalkes so ne handfull high or somewhat more, of which

some stand vpright, others lie along vpon the ground, being round, hairy, and vnorderly set with soft hoary leaues ingirting their stalkes at their setting on, and sharpe pointed at their vpper ends. The tops of the stalkes carry many whitish heads full of a yellowish downe: the root is thicke and blackish, with some fibres.

14 This sends vp one stalke parted into seuerall branches set here and there with broad 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and hoarie leaues, and at the diuision of the branches and amongst the leaues grow seuen or eight little heads thicke thrust together, being of a grayish yellow colour, and full of much downe: the root is vnprofitable, and perishes as soone as it hath perfected his seed. Clusius calls this 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Plateau 3. he hauing as it seemes receiued them both from his friend Iaques Plateau. ‡

Notes

• † 1.1

  The figure that was formerly in the seuenth place should haue beene in the eleuenth; and that in the eleuenth in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• † 1.2

  The figure that was formerly in the seuenth place should haue beene in the eleuenth; and that in the eleuenth in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.