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 MAtfellon or blacke Knapweed is doubtlesse a kinde of Scabious, as all the others are, in∣tituled with the name of Iacea; yet for distinction I haue thought good to set them downe in a seuerall Chapter, beginning with that kinde which is called in English Knapweed and Matfellon, or Matersilon. It hath long and narrow leaues, of a blackish green colour, in shape like Diuels bit, but longer, set vpon stalks two cubits high, somewhat bluntly cut or snipt about the edges: the floures do grow at the top of the stalks, being first small scaly knops, like to the knops of Corne floure, or blew bottles, but greater; out of the midst thereof groweth a purple thrummie or threddie floure. The root is thicke and short.

2 The great Knapweed is very like vnto the former, but that the whole plant is much greater, the leaues bigger, and more deeply cut, euen to the middle rib: the floures come forth of such like scaly heads, of an excellent faire purple colour, and much greater.

3 The third kinde of Matfellon, or Knapweed is very like vnto the former great Knapweed last before mentioned, sauing that the floures of this plant are of an excellent faire yellow colour, pro∣ceeding forth of a scaly head or knop, beset with most sharppricks, not to be touched without hurt: the floure is of a pleasing smel, and very sweet; the root is long and lasting, and creepeth far abroad, by means whereof it greatly increaseth.

[illustration]

1 Iaceanigra. Blacke Matfellon.

[illustration]

† 1.1 2 Iacea maior. Great Matfellon.

4 The mountaine Knapweede of Narbone in France, hath a strong stem of two cubits high, and is very plentifull about Couentrie among the hedges and bushes: the leaues are very much iagged, in sorme of Lonchitus, or Spleenewoort; the floures are like the rest of the Knapweeds, of a purple colour.

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

[illustration]

3 Iacea maior lutea. Yellow Knapweed.

[illustration]

4 Iacea montana. Mountaine Knapweed.

[illustration]

5 Iacea flore albo. White floured Knapweed.

[illustration]

6 Iacea tuberosa. Knobbed Knapweed.

[illustration]

‡ 7 Iacea Austriaca villosa. Rough headed Knapweed.

‡ 5 The white floured Knapweed hath creeping roots, which send vp pretty large whitish greene leaues, much diuided or cut in almost to the middle rib; from the midst of which rises vp a stalke some two foot high, set also with the like diuided leaues, but lesser: the floures are like those of the common sort, but of a pleasing white co∣lour. I first found this growing wilde in a field nigh Martine Abbey in Surrey, and since in the Isle Tenet. ‡

6 The tuberous or knobbie Knapweed being set forth by Tabernam. which and is a stranger in these parts, hath many leaues 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon the ground, rough, deeply gasht or hackt about the edges, like those of Sow∣thistle: among which riseth vp a straight stalke, diuiding it selfe into other branches, whereon do grow the like leaues, but smal∣ler: the knappie floures stand on the top of the branches, of a bright red 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in shape like the other Knapweeds. The root is great, thicke and tuberous, consisting of many cloggie parcels, like those of the As∣phodill.

‡ 7 This (saith Clusius) is a comely plant, hauing broad and long leaues white, soft, and lightly snipt about the edges: the taste is gummy, & not a little bitter: it sends vp many crested stalks from one root, some cubit high or more: at the toppes of them grow the heads some two or three to∣gether, consisting of many scales, whose ends are hairy, and they are set so orderly, that by this meanes the heads seeme as they were inclo∣sed in little nets: the floures are purple, and like those of the first described; the seede is small and long, and of an ash colour. This Clusius calls Iacea 4. Austriaca villoso capite.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 capitulis hirsut is Boelij.

8 This hath many small cornered straked hairie trailing branches growing from the root, and those again diuided into many other branches, trailing or spreading vpon the ground three or foure foot long, imploying or couering a good plot of ground, whereon grow hairy leaues diuided or iagged into many parts, like the leaues of Iacea maior, or Rocket, of a very bitter taste: at the top of each branch groweth one scaly head, each scale ending with fiue, six, or seuen little weake pric∣kles growing orderly like halfe the rowell of a spurre, but farre lesser: the floures grow forth of the heads of a light purple colour, consisting of many small floures, like those of the common Iacea, the bordering floures, being bigger and larger than those of the middle of the floure, each small floure being diuided into fiue small parts or leaues, not much vnlike those of Cyanus: the seed is small, and inclosed in downe. The root perisheth when the seed is ripe.

This plant hath not been hitherto written of that I can find. Seeds of it I receiued from M^r. Wil∣liam Coys, with whom also I obserued the plant, October 10. 1621. he receiued it from Boclius a Low countrey man. Iohn Goodyer. ‡

Notes

• † 1.1

  The figure that was formerly in the second place was of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. which differs from that our Author meant and described, whose figure we haue giuen you in the place thereof.