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 THis base kinde of Broom called Greene weed or Diers weed, hath many tough branches proceeding from a wooddie root: whereon do grow great store of leaues, of a deep green colour, somewhat long like those of Flax: the floures grow at the top of the branches not much vn∣like the leaues of Broome, but smaller; of an exceeding faire yellow colour, which turne into small flat cods, wherein is contained a little flat seed.

2 Carolius Clusius setteth forth another kinde of Broome, which Dodonaeus calleth Genistatincto∣ria, being another sort of Diers weed: it groweth like the Spanish Broome: vpon whose branches do grow long and small leaues like Flax, greene on the vpper side, and of an hoarie shining colour on the other. The floures grow at the top of the stalks, spike fashion, in forme and colour like the former: the roots are thicke and wooddie.

3 Carolus Clusius setteth forth two kindes of Broome. The first is a low and base plant, creeping and lying flat vpon the ground, whose long branches are nothing else, but as it were stalkes consi∣sting of leaues thicke in the middest, and thinne about the edges, and as it were diuided with small nicks; at which place it beginneth to continue the same leafe to the end, and so from leafe to leafe, vntill it haue increased a great sort, all which doe as it were make one stalke; and hath none other leaues, sauing that in some of the nicks or diuisions there commeth forth a small leafe like a little eare. At the end of those flat and leafed stalks come forth the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, much like the floures of the common Greening weed, but lesser, and of a yellow colour, which turne into small cods. The roots are very long, tough, and wooddie, ful of fibres, closing at the top of the root, from whence they pro∣ceed as from one body.

4 This kinde of Greenweed called of some Chamaesparium, hath a thicke wooddie root: from which rise vp diuers long leaues, consisting as it were of many pieces set together like a paire of Beads (as may better be perceiued by the figure, than expressed by words) greene on the vpper side, and whitish vnderneath, very tough, and as it were of a rushie substance: among which rise vp very small naked rushie stalkes; on the top whereof groweth an eare or spike of a chaffie matter, hauing here and there in the said care diuers yellow floures like Broome, but very small or little.

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1 Genistella tinctoria. Greeneweed or Diers weed.

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2 Genistella infectoria. Wooddie Diers weed.

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3 Genistella pinnata. Winged Greeneweed.

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4 Genistella globulata. Globe Greene weed.

5 The fist Greeneweed hath a wooddie tough root, with certaine strings annexed thereto: from which rise vp diuers long, flat leaues, tough, & very hard, consisting as it were of many little leaues, set one at the end of another, making of many one entire leafe, of a greene colour: amongst which come forth diuers naked hard stalks, very small and stiffe, on the tops whereof stand spikie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of yellow floures, like those of Broome, in shape like that great three leafed grasse, called Lagopus, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 like the Fox-taile grasse: after which come flat cods, wherein is inclosed small seed like to Tares both in taste and forme.

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5 Genistella Lagopoides maior. Hares foot Greeneweed.

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6 Genistella Lagopoides minor. Small Greenweed with Hares foot floure.

6 This differeth not from the precedent in stalks, roots and leaues: the floures consist of a floc∣kie soft matter, not vnlike to the grassie tuft of Foxtaile, resembling the floure of Lagopus, or Hares∣foot, but hauing small yellow floures lesser than the former, wherein it chiefely differeth from the other of his kinde.