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 MAy-weed bringeth forth round stalkes, greene, brittle, and full of iuyce, parted into many branches thicker and higher than those of Cammomil; the leaues in like ma∣ner are broader, and of a blackish greene colour. The floures are like in forme and colour, yet commonly larger, and of a ranke and naughty smell: the root is wooddy, and perisheth when the seed is ripe. The whole plant stinketh, and giueth a ranke smell.

‡ This herbe varies, in that it is found sometimes with narrower, and otherwhiles with broa∣der leaues; as also with a strong vnpleasant smell, or without any smell at all: the floures also are single, or else (which is seldome found) very double. ‡

2 The yellow May-weed hath a small and tender root, from which riseth vp a feeble stalke di∣uiding it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into many other branches, whereupon do grow leaues not vnlike to Cammomill, but thinner, and fewer in number. The floures grow at the top of the stalkes, of a gold yellow co∣lour, ‡ This I take to be no other than the Buphthalmum verum of our Author, formerly described in the second place of the 257. chapter.

3 This mountaine Cammomill hath leaues somewhat deepely cut in almost to the middle rib, thicke also and iuycie, of a bitterish taste, and of no pleasant smell: the stalkes are weake, and some foot high, carrying at their tops single floures, bigger, yet like those of Cammomill, yellow in the middle, with a border of twenty or more long white leaues, encompassing it. It increaseth much, as Cammomill doth, and hath creeping roots. It is found vpon the Stirian Alpes, and flou∣reth in Iuly and August. Clusius hath set this forth by the name of Leucanthemum Alpinum. ‡

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1 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉. May-weed.

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‡ 3 Leucanthemum Alpinum Clusij. Wilde Mountaine Cammomill.