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 TO Liuerwort there is ioyned Lung-wort, which is also another kinde of Mosse, drier, broader, of a larger size, and set with scales: the leaues hereof are greater, and diuersly folded one in another, not so smooth, but more wrinckled, rough and thicke almost like a Fell or hide, and tough withall: on the vpper side whitish, and on the nether side blackish or dusty, it seemeth to be after a sort like to lungs or lights.

2 This kinde of sea Mosse is an herby matter much like vnto Liuer-wort, altogether without stalke or stem, bearing many greene leaues, very vneuen or crumpled, and full of wrinkles, and som∣what broad, not much differing from leaues of crispe or curled Lettuce: this groweth vpon rockes within the bowels of the sea, but especially among oisters, and in greater plenty among those Oi∣sters which are called Wall-fleet Oisters: it is very well knowne euen to the poore Oister-women which carry Oisters to sell vp and downe, who are greatly desirous of the said mosse for the decking and beautifying of their Oisters, to make them sell the better. This mosse they doe call Oister∣greene.

‡ 3 The branches of this elegant plant are some handfull or better high, spred abroad on e∣uerie side, and only consisting of sundry single roundish leaues, whereto are fastned somtimes one,

sometimes two or more such leaues, so that the whole plant consists of branches made vp of such round leaues, fastned together by diuers little & verysmal threds: the lower leaues which stick fast to the rockes are of a brownish colour, the other of a whitish or a light greene colour, smooth and shining. This growes vpon rockes in diuers parts of the Mediterranean. Clusius setteth it forth by the name of Lichen Marinus; and he receiued it from Imperato by the name of Sertuloria: and Cortu∣sus had it from Corsica, by the title of Corallina latifolia; and he called it Opuntia marina, hauing refe∣rence to that mentioned by Theophrast. lib. 1. cap. 12. Hist. Plant. ‡

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† 3 Lichen marinus rotundifolius. Round leaued Oister-weed.

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4 Quercus marina. Sea Oke or Wracke.

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‡ 4 Quercus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 varietas: A varietie of the sea Oke or Wrack.

4 There is also another sort of sea Weed found vpon the drowned rockes, which are naked and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 water at euery tyde. This sea Weed groweth vnto the rocke, fastned vnto the same at one

end, being a soft herby plant, very slipperie, insomuch that it is a hard matter to stand vpon it with∣out falling: it rampeth far abroad, and here and there is set with certaine puft vp tubercles or blad∣ders, full of winde, which giueth a cracke when it is broken: the leafe it selfe doth somewhat re∣semble the Oken leafe, whereof it tooke his name Quercus marina, the sea Oke: of some, Wracke, and Crow Gall. His vse in physicke hath not beene set sorth, and therefore this bare description may suffice.

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‡ 5 Quercus marina secunda. Sea Thongs.

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‡ 6 Quercus marina tertia. The third sea Wracke.

‡ Of this Quercus marina, or Fucus, there are diuers sorts, whereof I will giue you the figures and a briefe historie: the first of these is onely a varietie of the last described, differing there-from in the narrownesse of the leaues, and largenesse of the swolne bladders.

5 This growes to the length of fiue or six foot, is smooth and membranous, being some halfe fingers bredth, and variously diuided, like wet parchment or leather cut into thongs: this hath no swolne knots or bladders like as the former; and is the Fucus marinus secundus of Dodonaeus.

6 This Wracke or sea weed hath long and flat stalkes like the former, but the stalks are thicke set with swolne knots or bladders, out of which sometimes grow little leaues, in other respects it is not vnlike the former kindes. Dodonaeus makes this his Fucus marinus 3.

7 The leaues of this other Wracke, which Dodonaeus makes his Fucus marinus quartus, are nar∣rower, smaller, and much diuided; and this hath either none or very few of those swollen bladders which some of the former kindes haue.

8 This, which Lobel calleth Alga marina, hath iointed blacke branched creeping roots of the thicknesse of ones finger, which end as it were in diuers eares, or hairy awnes, composed of whitish hairy threds somewhat resembling Spikenard: from the tops of those eares forth leaues, long, nar∣row, soft, and grasse-like, first greene, but white when they are dry. It growes in the sea as the for∣mer. They vse it in Italy and other hot countries to packe vp glasses with, to keepe them from breaking.

9 Of this Tribe are diuers other plants; but I will onely giue you the history of two more, which I first obserued the last yeare, going in company with diuers London Apothecaries to finde Simples, as farre as Margate in the Island of Tenet; and whose figures (not before extant that I know of) I first gaue in my Iournall or enumeration of such plants as we there and in other pla∣ces found. The first of these by reason of his various growth is by Bauhine in his Prodromus distin∣guished

into two, and described in the second and third places. The third he calls Fucus longissi∣mo, latissimo, crassoque folio, and this is marked with the figure 1. The second he calls Fucus arboreus polyschides; and this you may see marked with the figure 2. This sea Weed (as I haue said) hath a various face, for sometimes from a fibrous root, which commonly groweth to a pibble stone, or fastened to a rocke, it sendeth forth a round stalke seldome so thicke as ones little finger, and about some halfe foot in length, at the top whereof growes out a single leafe, sometimes an ell long, and then it is about the bredth of ones hand, and it ends in a sharpe point, so that it very well resem∣bles a two edged sword. Sometimes from the same root come forth two such fashioned leaues, but then commonly they are lesser. Otherwhiles at the top of the stalke it diuides it selfe into eight, nine, ten, twelue, more or fewer parts, and that iust at the top of the stalke, and these neuer come to that length that the single leaues do. Now this I iudge to be the Fucus polyschides of Bau∣hine. That these two are not seuerall kindes I am certaine; for I haue marked both these varieties from one and the same root, as you may see them here exprest in the figure. At Margate where they grow they call them sea Girdles, and that name well befits the single one; and the diuided one they may call Sea Hangers, for if you do hang the tops downewards, they doe reasonable well resemble the old fashioned sword-hangers. Thus much for their shape: now for their colour, which is not the same in all; for some are more greene, and these can scarce be dried; other-some are whitish, and these do quickly dry, and then both in colour and substance are so like parchment, that such as know them not would at the first view take them to be nothing else. This is of a glu∣tinous substance, and a little saltish taste, and diuers haue told me they are good meate, being boi∣led tender, and so eaten with butter, vineger, and pepper.

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‡ 7 Quercus marina quaria. Iagged Sea Wracke.

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‡ 8 Alga. Grasse Wracke.

10 This which I giue you in the tenth place is not figured or described by any that as yet I haue met with; wherefore I gaue the figure and description in the forementioned Iournall, which I will here repeate. This is a very succulent and fungous plant, of the thicknesse of ones thumbe; it is of a darke yellowish colour, and buncheth forth on euerie side with many vnequall tuberosi∣ties or knots: whereupon M^r. Thomas Hickes being in our companie did fitly name it Sea rag∣ged Staffe. We did not obserue it growing, but found one or two plants thereof some foot long apiece.

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‡ 9 Facus phasganoides & polyschides. Sea Girdle and Hangers.

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‡ 10 Fucus spongiosus nodosus. Sea ragged Staffe.

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‡ 11 Conferua. Hairy Riuerweed.

11 In some slow running waters is to be found this long greene hairy weed, which is thought to be the Conferua of Pliny: it is made vp onely of long hairy greene threds, thicke thrummed to∣gether without any particular shape or fashion, but only following the current of the streame. ‡