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 THree leaued grasse of America hath diuers crooked round stalks, leaning this way and that way, and diuided into diuers branches: whereon do grow leaues like those of the medow Trefoile, of a black greene colour, and of the smel of Pitch Trefoile, or Treacle Clauer: the floures grow at the top of the branches, made vp in a long spiked chassie care, of a white colour: after which commeth the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, somewhat flat, almost like to those of Tares: the roots are long strings of a wooddie substance.

2 This three leafed grasse (which Dodonaeus in his last Edition calleth Trifolium cochleatum 〈◊〉〈◊〉: and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Fanum 〈◊〉〈◊〉) hath diuers round vpright stalks, of a wooddie rough sub∣stance, yet not able of it selfe to stand without a prop or stay: which stalks are diuided into diuers small branches, whereupon do grow leaues ioined three together like the other Trefoiles, but osa darke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 greene colour: the floures grow at the top of the stalks in shape like those of the cod∣ded Trefoile, but of a darke purple colour: the seede followeth, contained in small wrinckled

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1 Trifolium Americum. Trefoile of America.

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† 1.1 2 Trifolium Burgundiacum. Burgundie Trefoile.

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3 Trifolium Salmanticum. Portingale Trefoile.

huskes turned round, after the manner of a water snaile: the root is thick, composed of diuers tough threddie strings, and lasteth long in my garden with great increase.

3 This three leaued grasse of Salmanca, a citie as I take it of Portingale, differeth not much from our field Trefoile: it hath many branches weake and tender, trailing vpon the ground, of two cubites and a halfe high: whereupon doe grow leaues 〈◊〉〈◊〉 together by three vpon a stemme, from the bosome whereof thrust forth tender foot-stalkes, whereon doe stand most fine floures of a bright red tending vnto purple: after which come the seed wrapped in small skinnes, of a red co∣lour.

4 The Hart Trefoile hath very many flexible branches, set vpon a slender stalke, of the length of two or three foot, trailing hither and thither: whereupon doe grow leaues ioined together by

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4 Trifolium cordatum. Heart Trefoile.

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5 Trifolium siliquosum minus. Small codded Trefoile.

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‡ 6 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ex Codice Caesareo. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Trefoile.

three on little slender foot-stalks, euery little leafe of the fashion of a heart, whereof it took his name: among which come forth scalie, or chaffie yellow floures: the root is thick and threddie. ‡ I take the plant which our Au∣thour here figured and intended to describe vnto vs, to be of that Medica which Camerari∣us calls Arabica, which growes wilde in many places with vs, hauing the leaues a little den∣ted in at the ends, so that they resemble the vulgar figure of a heart; and each 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is mar∣ked with a blackish, or red spot: the floures be small and yellow: the seeds are contained in rough buttons, wound vp like the other Snaile Trefoiles, whereof it is a kinde. I haue giuen you the figure a little more exquisite, by the addition of the spots and cods. ‡

5 This kinde of three leaued grasse is a low herb, creeping vpon the ground: the leaues are like those of the common Trefoile, but les∣ser, and of a grayish greene colour: the floures are faire and yellow, fashioned like those of broome, but lesser: after come three or soure cods, wherein is contained round seed: the root is long and reddish. ‡ This is the Trifolium 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or Melilotus Coronata of Lobel: Lo∣tus pentaphyllos of Gesner. ‡

This codded Tresoile is like vnto the last described in euery respect, sauing that this plant is altogether ‡ larger, hauing stalks a cu∣bite

and a halfe high: the leaues are also soure times as large, two roundish leaues 〈◊〉〈◊〉 by the stalke, and three 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ones growing vpon a short foot-stalke comming forth betweene the two roundish leaues: both the stalke and leaues haue a little soft downinesse or hairinesse on 〈◊〉〈◊〉: the floures grow clustering together on the tops of the stalks, in shape, bignesse, and colour like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the last described, but commonly more in number: they are also succeeded by such 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as those of the former.

6 The figure which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath set forth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of an old Manuscript in the Emperors Libra∣ry, being there figured for Coronopus, seemes to be of the last described, or some plant very like there∣to, though the fiue leaues at each ioint be not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in such order as they should be, yet 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the parts are well exprest, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the drawing of those times, for you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 finde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 antient expressions come so neere as this doth. ‡

7 There is a kinde of Clauer growing about 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in France, that hath many twiggie tough branches comming from a wooddy root, whereon are set leaues three together, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the ma∣ner of the other Trefoiles, so new hat long, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and of a hoarie or ouerworne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 colour. The floures are yellow, and grow at the tops of the branches like those of Broome.

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7 Lotus 〈◊〉〈◊〉, sive 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Scribonij Largi. Hoarie Clauer.

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‡ 8 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 siliqua cornuta. Yellow horned 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

‡ This sends vp many branches from one root, some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or more long, commonly lying a∣long vpon the ground, round, flexable, and diuided into sundrie branches: the leaues stand together by threes, and are like those of the true Medica, or Burgundie Trefoile, but much lesse: the floures grow clustering together on the tops of the branches, like in shape to those of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉; of a yel∣low colour, and not without smell: they are succeeded by such, yet narrower crooked coddes, as the Burgundy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath (but the Painter hath not wel expressed them:) in these cods are contained seeds like those also of that Trefoile, and such also is the root, which liues long, and much increases. It growes in Hungarie, Austria, and Morauia: it floures in Iune and 〈◊〉〈◊〉: Clusius calls it Medica flore flavo: 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Lens maior repens and Tragus, Meliloti maioris species 〈◊〉〈◊〉: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 saith that about Nimes in Narbone it is found with floures either yellow white, greene, blew, purple, blacke, or mixed of blew and greene; and hee calleth it Trifolium syluestre 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉; or 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ‡

Notes

• † 1.1

  The figure 〈◊〉〈◊〉 put in the second place was of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 yellow 〈◊〉〈◊〉 described in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 chapter 〈◊〉〈◊〉 one.