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 TOwers Mustard hath beene taken of some for a kinde of Cresses, and referred by them to it: of some, for one of the Mustards, and so placed among the Thlaspies as a kinde thereof; and therefore my selfe must needs bestow it somewhere with others. There∣fore I haue with Clusius and Lobel placed it among the Thlaspies, as a kinde thereof. It commeth out of the ground with many long and large rough leaues, like those of Hounds-tongue, especial∣ly those next the ground: amongst which riseth vp a long stalke of a cubit or more high, set abont with sharpe pointed leaues like those of Woad. The floures grow at the top, if I may terme them floures, but they are as it were a little dusty chaffe driuen vpon the leaues and branches with the winde: after which come very small cods, wherein is small reddish seed like that of Cameline or English Worm-seed, with a root made of a tuft full of innumerable threds or strings.

‡ 2 This second kinde hath a thicker and harder root than the precedent, hauing also fewer fibers; the leaues are bigger than those of the last described, somewhat curled or sinuated, yet lesse, rough, and of a lighter greene; in the middest of these there rise vp one or two stalkes or more, vsu∣ally some two cubits high, diuided into some branches, which are adorned with leaues almost in∣girting them round at there setting on. The floures are like those of the former, but somewhat larger, and the colour is either white, or a pale yellow: after these succeed many long cods filled with a seed somewhat larger than the last described. ‡

3 Gold of pleasure is an herbe with many branches set vpon a straight stalke, round, and diui∣ded into sundry wings, in height two cubits. The leaues be long, broad, and sharpe pointed, some∣what snipt or indented about the edges like those of Sow-thistles. The flowers along the stalkes are white; the seed contained in round little vessels is fat and oily.

[illustration]

1 Turritis. Towers Mustard.

[illustration]

‡ 2 Turritis major. Great Tower Mustard.

4 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Wormeseed riseth vp with tough and pliant branches, whereupou do grow many small yellow flowers; after which come long slender cods like Flixe-weed, or Sophia, wherein is conteined small yellowish seed, bitter as Wormeseed or Coliquintida. The leaues are small and darke of colour, in shape like those of the wilde stocke Gillofloures, but not so thicke, nor fat. The root is small and single.