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

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Title
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
Author
Gerard, John, 1545-1612.
Publication
London :: Printed by Adam Islip Ioice Norton and Richard Whitakers,
anno 1633.
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Subject terms
Botany -- Pre-Linnean works -- Early works to 1800.
Botany, Medical -- Early works to 1800.
Gardens -- England -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A01622.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A01622.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 28, 2025.

Pages

¶ The Names.

Maiden-haire is called in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Theophrastus and Pliny name it Adiantum nigrum, or black Maiden-haire: for they set downe two Maiden-haires, the blacke and the white, making this the blacke, and the Rue of the wall the white: it is called in Latine Polytrichum, Callitrichum, Cincinalis, Terrae Capillus, Supercilium terrae: of Apuleius, Capillus Veneris, Capillaris, Crinita: & of diuers, Coriandrum putei: the Italians keepe the name Capillus Veneris: in English, blacke Maiden haire, and Venus haire, and it may be called our Ladies haire.

Page 1145

It is called Adianton because the leafe, as Theophrastus saith, is neuer wet, for it casteth off water that falleth thereon, or being drowned or couered in water, it remaineth still as if it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dry, as Pliny likewise writeth; and is termed Callitricon and Polytricon, of the effect it hath in dying haire, and maketh it to grow thicke.

VVall Rue is commonly called in Latine, Ruta muraria, or Ruta muralis: of some, Saluia vitae, but wherefore I know not, neither themselues, if they were liuing: of the Apothecaries of the Low∣Countries Capillus Veneris, or Maiden haire, and they haue vsed it a long time for the right Maiden haire; it is that kinde of Adiantum which Theophrastus termed Adiantum 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or white Maiden haire, for he maketh two, one blacke, and the other white, as we haue said. Pliny doth likewise 〈◊〉〈◊〉 downe two kindes, one he calleth Polytricon; the other, Tricomanes, or English Maiden-haire, whereof we will intreate in the chapter following, which he hath falsely set downe for a kinde of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, for Tricomanes doth differ from Adiantum.

Some there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that thinke, Wall-Rue is Paronychia Dioscoridis, or Dioscorides his Whitlow-wort, wherein they haue been greatly deceiued: it is called in high Dutch, 〈◊〉〈◊〉: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Dutch, Steencruyt: in French, Rue de maraeille: in English, Wall-Rue, and white Maiden-haire.

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