¶ The Description.
BItter-sweet bringeth forth wooddy stalkes as doth the Vine, parted into many slender creeping branches, by which it climeth and taketh hold of hedges and shrubs next vnto it. The barke of the oldest stalkes are rough and whitish, of the colour of ashes, with the outward rinde of a bright greene colour, but the yonger branches are greene as are the leaues: the wood brittle, ha∣uing in it a spongie pith; it is clad with long leaues, smooth, sharpe pointed, lesser than those of the Binde-weed. At the lower part of the same leaues doth grow on either side one small or lesser leafe like vnto two eares. The floures be small, and somewhat clustered together, consisting of fiue little leaues apiece, of a perfect blew colour, with a certaine pricke or yellow pointall in the mid∣dle: which being past, there do come in place faire berries, more long than round, at the first green, but very red when they be ripe; of a sweet taste at the first, but after very vnpleasant, of a strong sa∣uour, growing together in clusters like burnished coral. The root is of a meane bignesse, and full 〈◊〉〈◊〉 strings.
I haue found another sort which bringeth forth most pleasant white floures with yellow poin∣tals in the middle, in other respects agreeing with the former.