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 WAter Mint is a kinde of wilde Mint, it is like to the first Garden M int; the leaues thereof are round, the stalkes cornered, both the leaues and stalkes are of a darke red colour: the roots creepe far abroad, but euery part is greater, and the herbe it selfe is of a stronger smell: the floures in the tops of the branches are gathered together into a round eare, of a purple colour.

† 2 The second kinde of water Mint in each respect is like the others, sauing that the same hath a more odoriferous sauor being lightly touched with the hand: otherwise being hardly tou∣ched, the sauour is ouer hot to smell vnto: it beareth his floures in sundry tufts or roundles ingir∣ting the stalkes in many places; and they are of a light purple colour: the leaues are also lesse than those of the former, and of an hoary gray colour.

‡ 3 This common Horse-Mint hath creeping roots like as the other Mints, from which proceed stalkes partly leaning, and partly growing vpright: the leaues are pretty large, thicke,

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† 1.1 1 Mentha aquatica, siue Sisymbrium. Water Mint.

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† 1.2 2 Calamintha aquatica. Water Calamint.

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‡ 3 Mentastrum. Horse-Mint.

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‡ 4 〈◊〉〈◊〉 niueum Anglicum. Party coloured Horse-Mint.

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‡ 5 Mentastrum minus. Small Horse-Mint.

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‡ 6 Mentastrum montanum 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Mountaine Horse-Mint.

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‡ 7 Mentastrum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 radice 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Turnep-rooted Horse-Mint.

wrinkled, hoary and rough both aboue and be low, and lightly snipped about the edges; the floures grow in thicke compact eares at the tops of the stalks, and are like those of common Mint. The whole plant is of a more vnpleasant sent than any of the other Mints. It growes in diuers wet and moist grounds, and floures in Iune and Iuly. This by most writers is called only Menta∣strum, without any other attribute.

4 In some of our English gardens (as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Lobel obserued) growes another Horse-mint, much lesse, and better smelling than the last mentioned, hauing the leaues partly greene, and partly milke white; yet sometimes the leaues are some of them wholly white, but more, and more commonly all greene: the stalkes, floures, and other parts are like those of the former, but lesse. This is the Mentastrum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Anglicum, of Lobel; and Mentastrum alterum of Dodonaeus.

5 This growes in waterie places, hauing a stalke of a cubit or cubit and halfe high, set with longish hoary leaues like those of Horse-mint: the floures grow in spokie tufts at the tops of the stalkes, of a duskie purple colour, and in shape like those of the common Mint: the smell of this comes neere to that of the water Mint. This is the Mentastrifolia aquatica hirsuta, siue 〈◊〉〈◊〉 3. Dioscoridis, of Lobel: in the hist, Lugd, it is called Mentastrum minus spicatum.

6 The stalke of this is some cubit and halfe high, square, and full of pith: the leaues are like in shape to those of Cat-Mint, but not hoarie, but rather greene: the tops of the branches are set with roundles of such white floures as those of the Cats-mint: the smell of this plant is like to that of the Horse-Mint; whence Clusius calls it Mentastrum montanum primum. It floures in August, and growes in the mountainous places of Austria.

7 The same Author hath also set forth another by the name of Mentastrum tuberosa radice. It hath roughish stalkes like the former, and longish crumpled leaues somewhat snipt about the ed∣ges like those of the last described: the floures grow in roundles alongst the tops of the branches, and are white of colour, and like those of Cat-Mint. The root of this (which, as also the leaues, is not well exprest in the figure) is like a Radish, and blackish on the out side, sending sorth many succours like to little Turneps, and also diuers fibres: these succours taken from the maine root will also take root and grow. It floures in Iune. Clusius receiued the seed of it from Spaine. ‡

Notes

• † 1.1

  The figure that was in the first place was of the Horse-Mint, and that in the second place should haue beene in the first, as now it is.
• † 1.2

  The figure that was in the first place was of the Horse-Mint, and that in the second place should haue beene in the first, as now it is.