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 THe white water Lillie or Nenuphar hath great round leaues, in shape of a Buckler, thick, fat, and full of iuice, standing vpon long round and smooth foot-stalkes, ful of a spungi∣ous substance; which leaues do swim or flote vpon the top of the water: vpon the end of each stalk groweth one floure onely, of colour white, consisting of many little long sharpe pointed leaues, in the middest whereof bee many yellow threds: after the floure it bringeth forth a round head, in which lieth blackish glittering seed. The roots be thicke, full of knots, blacke without, white and spungie within, out of which groweth a multitude of strings, by which it is fastened in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

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1 Nymphaea alba. White Water Lillie.

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2 Nymphaealutea. Yellow Water Lillie.

2 The leaues of the yellow water Lillie be like to the other, yet are they a little longer. The stalkes of the floures and leaues be like: the floures be yellow, consisting onely of fiue little short leaues something round; in the midst of which groweth a small round head, or button, sharpe to∣wards the point, compassed about with many yellow threds, in which, when it is ripe, lie also glit∣tering seeds, greater than those of the other, and lesser than wheat cornes. The roots be thick, long, set with certaine dents, as it were white both within and without, of a spungious substance.

3 The smal white water Lillie floreth likewise vpon the water, hauing a single root, with some few fibres fastened thereto: from which riseth vp many long, round, smooth, and soft foot-stalkes, some of which doe bring forth at the end faire broad round buckler leaues like vnto the prece∣dent,

but lesser: on the other foot-stalkes stand prettie white floures, consisting of fiue small leaues apeece, hauing a little yellow in the middle thereof.

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3 Nymphaea alba minor. The small white Water Lillie.

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5 Nymphaea lutea minima. Dwarfe Water Lillie.

4 The small yellow water Lillie hath a little threddie root, creeping in the bottome of the water, and dispersing it selfe far abroad: from which rise small tender stalkes, smooth and soft, whereon do grow little buckler leaues like the last described: likewise on the other small stalke standeth a tuft of many floures likewise floting vpon the water as the others do. ‡ This hath the floures larger than those of the next described, wherefore it may be fitly named Nymphaea lutea minor flore am∣plo. ‡

5 This dwarfe water Lillie differeth not from the other small yellow water Lillie, sauing that, that this kinde hath sharper pointed leaues, and the whole plant is altogether lesser, wherein lieth the difference. ‡ This hath the floures much lesse than those of the last described, wherefore it is fitly for distinction sake named Nymphaea 〈◊〉〈◊〉 minor flore paruo. ‡