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 leaues of Carline are very full of prickles, cut on both edges with a multitude of deepe gashes, and set along the corners with stiffe and very sharpe prickles; the middle ribs whereof are sometimes red: the stalke is a span high or higher, bringing forth for the most part onely one head or knap being full of prickles, on the outward circumference or compasse like the Vrchin huske of a chesnut: and when this openeth at the top, there groweth forth a broad floure, made vp in the middle like a flat 〈◊〉〈◊〉, of a great number of threds, which is compassed a∣bout with little long leaues, oftentimes somewhat white, very seldome red: the seed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is slender and narrow, the root is long; a finger thicke, something blacke, so chinked as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it were split in sunder, sweete of smell, and in taste somewhat bitter.

[illustration]

‡ 1 Carlina caulescens magno flore. Tall Carline Thistle.

[illustration]

2 Carlina, seu 〈◊〉〈◊〉 albus Dioscoridis. The white Carline Thistle of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with the red floure.

2 There is also another hereof without a stalke, with leaues also very full of prickles, like al∣most to those of the other, lying flat on the ground on euery side: among which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 groweth forth in the middle a round head or knap, set with prickles without after the same maner, but grea∣ter: the floure whereof in the middle is of strings, and paled round about with red leaues, and some∣times with white, in faire and calme weather the floures both of this and also of the other laie

[illustration]

‡ 3 Carlina 〈◊〉〈◊〉 minor flore purp. Dwarfe Carline Thistle.

themselues wide open, and when the weather is foule and misty, are drawne close together: the root hereof is long, and sweet of smell, white, sound, not nicked or splitted as the other.

‡ 3 This small purple Carline Thistle hath a prety large root diuided oft times at the top into diuers branches, from which rise many green leaues lying spred vpon the ground, deep∣ly cut and set with sharpe prickles; in the midst of these leaues come vp sometimes one, but o∣therwhiles more scaly heads, which carry a pret∣ty large floure composed of many purple threds, like that of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but larger, and of a brighter colour; these heads grow vsually close to the leaues, yet sometimes they stand vpon stalkes three or foure inches high: when the floure is past they turne into downe, and are car∣ried away with the winde: the seed is small and grayish. This growes vpon Blacke-Heath, vp∣on the chalky hills about Dartford, and in many such places. It floures in Iuly and August. Tra∣gus calls it Chamaeleon albus, vel exiguus; Lobel, Carduus acaulis, Septentrionalium, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 albus, Cordi; Clusius, Carlina minor 〈◊〉〈◊〉 flore, and he saith in the opinion of some, it seemes not vnlike to the Chamaeleon whereof 〈◊〉〈◊〉 makes mention, lib. 6. cap. 3. Hist. plant. ‡