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 stalkes of Golden Thistle rise vp forthwith from the root, being many, round, and branched. The leaues are long, of a beautifull green, with deepe gashes on the edges, and set with most sharpe prickles: the floures come 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the leaues, set in a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 chaffie knap, very like to Succorie floures, but of colour as yellow as gold: in their places come vp broad flat and thin seeds, not great, nor wrapped in downe: the root is long, a finger thicke, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, soft, and good to be eaten, wherewith swine are much delighted: there issueth forth of this thistle in what part soeuer it is cut or broken, a iuyce as white as milke.

‡ There is some varietie of this Thistle; for it is found much larger about Montpelier than it is in Spaine, with longer branches, but fewer floures: the leaues also are spotted or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with white like as the milke Thistle: whence Clusius, whom I here follow, hath giuen two figures there∣of; the former by the name of Scolymus Theophrasti H spanicus; and the other by the title of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Theophrasti Narbonensis. This with white spots 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saw growing this yere with M^r. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 at South Lambeth. ‡

[illustration]

1 Carduus Chrysanthemus Hispanicus. The Spanish golden Thistle.

[illustration]

‡ Carduus Chrysanthemus 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The French golden Thistle.

2 The golden Thistle of Peru, called in the West Indies, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 del Inferno, a friend of mine brought it vnto me from an Island there called Saint Iohns Island, among other seeds. What rea∣son the inhabitants there haue to call it so, it is vnto me vnknowne, vnlesse it be because of his fruit, which doth much resemble a fig in shape and bignesse, but so full of sharpe and venomous prickles, that whosoeuer had one of them in his throat, doubtlesse it would send him packing ei∣ther to heauen or to hell. This plant hath a single wooddy root as big as a mans thumbe, but som∣what long: from which ariseth a brittle stalke full of ioynts or knees, diuiding it selfe into sundry other small branches, set full of leaues like vnto the milke Thistle, but much smaller, and straked with many white lines or streakes: and at the top of the stalks come 〈◊〉〈◊〉 faire and goodly yellow floures, very like vnto the sea Poppy, but more elegant, and of greater beauty, hauing in the midst

thereof a small knop or boll, such as is in the middle of our wild Poppy, but full of sharpe thorns, and at the end thereof a stainc or spot of a deepe purple: after the yellow floures be fallen, this foresaid knop groweth by degrees greater and greater, vntill it come to full maturitie, which ope∣neth it selfe at the vpper end, shewing his seed, which is very blacke and round like the seeds of mu∣stard. The whole plant and each part thereof doth yeeld verie great aboundance of milkie iuyce, which is of a golden colour, falling and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from any part thereof, if it be cut or bruised the whole plant perisheth at the approch of Winter. The vertues hereof are yet vnknowne vnto me, wherefore I purpose not to set downe any thing thereof by way of coniecture, but shall, God wil∣ling, be ready to declare that which certaine knowledge and experience either of myne owne or others, shall make manifest vnto me.