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 tree which hath the Cinnamon for his barke is of the stature of an Oliue tree: hauing a body as thick as a mans thigh, from which the Cinnamon is taken; but that taken from the smaller branches is much better: which branches or boughes are many, and very straight; wher∣on do grow beautifull leaues, in shape like those of the Orenge tree, and of the colour of the Bay leafe (not as it hath been reported) like vnto the leaues of flags or floure de-Luce: among these plea∣sant leaues and branches come forth many faire white floures, which turne into round blacke fruit or berries, of the bignesse of an Hasell Nut, or the Oliue berry, and of a blacke colour; out of which is pressed an oile, that hath no smell at all vntill it be rubbed and chafed betweene the hands: the trunke or body with the greater armes or boughes of the tree are couered with a double or twofold barke, like that of Suber, the Corke tree: the innermost whereof is the true and pleasant Cinnamon, which is taken from the tree, and cast vpon the ground in the heate of the Sunne; through the heate

[illustration]

Canellae folium, Bacillus, & Cortex. The leafe, barke, and trunke of the Cin∣namon tree.

thereof it turneth and foldeth it selfe round together, as wee daily see by viewing the thing it selfe: this tree being thus peeled, recouereth a new barke in the space of three yeares, and is then ready to be disbarked as afore. That Cinnamon which is of a paleco∣lour hath not been well dried in the Sunne: that of a faire browne colour is best; & that which is blackish, hath been too much dri∣ed, and also hath taken some wet in the time of drying.

‡ 2 Besides the Cinnamon vulgarly knowne and vsed, there is another sort which also is commonly receiued for the Cassia of Dioscorides and the Antients. Now this dif∣fers from the former in that it is of a redder colour, of a more hard, sollid, and compact substance, commonly also thicker, & if you chew it, more clammy and viscous: the taste and smell are much like Cinnamon, yet not altogether so strong as that of the best Cin∣namon. There is much controuersie in late Writers concerning both the true Cinna∣mon, and Cassia of the Antients: the which I haue not time nor space here to mention, much lesse to insist vpon: I haue obserued that both the Cinnamon and Cassia that we haue are couered ouer with a rough grayish barke, like that of an Oke or other such tree, which is cleane scraped off, and taken away before it be brought to vs. ‡