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¶ The Description.
1 WAter Crow-foot hath slender branches trailing far abroad, whereupon grow leaues vnder the water most finely cut and iagged like those of Cammomill. Those aboue the water are somwhat round, indented about the edges, in forme not vnlike the smal tender leaues of the mallow, but lesser: among which do grow the floures, small, and white of colour, made of fine little leaues, with some yellownesse in the middle like the floures of the Straw-berry, and of a sweet smell: after which there come round rough and prickly knaps like those of the field Crow∣foot. The roots be very small hairy strings.
‡ There is sometimes to be found a varietie of this, with the leaues lesse, and diuided into three parts after the manner of an Iuy leafe; and the floures are also much lesser, but white of co∣lour, with a yellow bottome. I question whether this be not the Ranunculus hederaceus Daleschampij, pag. 1031. of the hist. Lugd. ‡
2 There is another plant growing in the water, of smal moment, yet not amisse to be remembred, called Hederula aquatica, or water Iuie: the which is very rare to finde; neuerthelesse I found it once in a ditch by Bermondsey house neere to London, and neuer elsewhere: it hath small threddy strings in stead of roots and stalkes, rising from the bottome of the water to the top; wherunto are fastned small leaues swimming or floting vpon the water, triangled or three cornered like to those of barren Iuie, or rather noble Liuerwort: barren of floures and seeds.
3 There is likewise another herbe of small reckoning that floteth vpon the water, called Stella∣ria aquatica, or water Star-wort, which hath many small grassie stems like threds, comming from the bottome of the water vnto the vpper face of the same: whereupon do grow smal double floures of a greenish or herby colour. ‡ I take this Stellaria to be nothing else but a water Chickeweed, which growes almost in euery ditch, with two long narrow leaues at each ioynt, and halfe a dozen or more lying close together at the top of the water, in fashion of a starre: it may be seene in this shape in the end of Aprill and beginning of May: I haue not yet obserued either the floure or seed thereof. ‡