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 GArden Basill is of two sorts, differing one from another in bignesse. The first hath broad, thicke, and fat leaues, of a pleasant sweet smell, and of which some one here and there are of a black reddish colour, somewhat snipped about the edges, not vnlike the leaues of French Mercurie. The stalke groweth to the height of halfe a cubite, diuiding itself in∣to diuers branches, whereupon doe stand small and base floures sometimes whitish, and often ten∣ding to a darke purple. The root is threddie, and dieth at the approch of Winter.

[illustration]

1 Ocimum 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Great Basill.

[illustration]

2 Ocimum medium citratum. Citron Basill.

[illustration]

3 Ocimum minus Gariophyllatum. Bush Basill.

[illustration]

‡ 4 Ocimum Indicum. Indian Basill.

2 The middle Basill is very like vnto the former, but it is altogether lesser. The whole plant is of a most odoriferous smell, not vnlike the smell of a Limon, or Citron, whereof it tooke his sur∣name.

3 Bush Basill, or fine Basill, is a low and base plant, hauing a threddie root, from which rise vp many small and tender stalks, branched into diuers armes or boughes; whereupon are placed many little leaues, lesser than those of Pennie Royall. The whole plant is of a most pleasing sweete smell.

‡ 4 This which some call Ocimum Indicum, or rather (as Camerarius saith) Hispanicum, sends vp a stalk a foot or more high, foure square, and of a purple colour, set at each ioint with two leaues, and out of their bosomes come little branches: the largest leaues are some two inches broad, and some three long; growing vpon long stalks, and deepely cut in about their edges, being also thicke, fat and iuicie, and either of a darke purple colour, or else spotted with more or lesse such coloured spots. The tops of the branches end in spokie tufts of white floures with purple veines running a∣longst them. The seede is contained in such seed vessels as that of the other Basils, and is round, blacke and large. The plant perishes euery yeare as soone as it hath perfected the seed. Clusius calls this Ocimum Indicum. ‡