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1 THe Furze bush is a plant altogether a Thorne, fully armed with most sharpe prickles, without any leaues at all except in the spring, and those very few and little, and quick∣ly falling away: it is a bushy shrub, often rising vp with many wooddy branches to the height of foure or fiue cubits, or higher, according to the nature and soile where they grow: the greatest and highest that I did euer see do grow about Excester in the West parts of England,
where the great stalks are dearely bought for the better sort of people, and the small thorny spraies for the poorer sort. From these thorny branches grow little floures like those of Broome, and of a yellow colour, which in hot Regions vnder the extreme heate of the Sunne are of a very perfect red colour: in the colder countries of the East, as Danzicke, Brunswicke, and Poland, there is not any branch hereof growing, except some few plants and seeds which my selfe haue sent to Elbing, o∣therwise called Meluin, where they are most curiously kept in their fairest gardens, as also our common Broome, the which I haue sent thither likewise, being first desired by diuers earnest let∣ters: the cods follow the floures, which the Grauer hath omitted, as a German who had neuer seen the plant it selfe, but framed the figure by heare-say: the root is strong, tough, and wooddy.
We haue in our barren grounds of the North parts of England another sort of Furze, bringing forth the like prickley thornes that the others haue: the onely difference consisteth in the colour of the floures; for the others bring forth yellow floures, and those of this plant are as white as snow.
† 1.1 2 To this may be ioyned another kinde of Furze which bringeth forth certaine branches that be some cubit high, stiffe, and set round about at the first with small winged Lentill-like leaues and little harmelesse prickles, which after they haue been a yeare old, and the leaues gon, be armed onely with most hard sharpe prickles, crooking or bending their points downwards. The floures hereof are of a pale yellow colour, lesser than those of Broome, yet of the same forme: the cods are small, in which do lie little round reddish seeds: the root is tough and wooddy.
‡ Of this Clusius reckons vp three varieties: the first growing some cubit high, with deepe yel∣low floures: the second growes higher, and hath paler coloured floures: the third groweth to the height of the first, the floures also are yellow, the branches more prickly, and the leaues hairy; and the figure I giue you is of this third varietie.
3 This seldome exceeds a foot in height, and it is on euerie side armed with sharpe prickles, which grow not confusedly, as in the common sort, but keepe a certaine order, and still grow forth by couples: they are of a lighter greene than those of the common Furze: on the tops of each of the branches grow two or three yellow floures like those of the former; which are succeeded by lit∣tle round rough hairy cods of the bignesse of Tares. This floures in March, and groweth in the way between Burdeaux and Bayone in France, and vpon the Pyrenean mountaines. Clusius makes it his Scorpius 2. or second sort of Furze: Lobel calls it Genista spartium spinosum alterum. ‡
4 This small kinde of Furze (growing vpon Hampstead heath neere London, and in diuers other barren grounds, where in manner nothing else wil grow) hath many weake and flexible bran∣ches of a wooddy substance: whereon do grow little leaues like those of Tyme: among which are set in number infinite most sharpe prickles, hurting like needles, whereof it tooke his name. The floures grow on the tops of the branches like those of Broome, and of a pale yellow colour. The root is tough and wooddy.
‡ 5 This plant (saith Clusius) is wholly new and elegant, some span high, diuided into many branches, some spred vpon the ground, others standing vpright, hauing plentifull store of greene prickles: the floures in shape are like those of Broome, but lesse, and of a blewish purple colour, standing in rough hairy whitish cups, two or three floures commonly growing neere together: sometimes whilest it floures it sendeth forth little leaues, but not very often, and they are few, and like those of the second described, and quickly fall away, so that the whole plant seemes nothing but prickles, or like a hedge-hog when she folds vp her selfe: the root is wooddy, and large for the proportion of the plant. It growes in the kingdome of Valentia in Spaine, where the Spaniards call it Erizo, that is, the Hedge-hog; and thence Clusius also termed it Erinacea. It floureth in Aprill. ‡
6 The smallest of all the Furzes is that of the Antients called Nepa, or Scorpion Furze, as the word Nepa seemeth to import: it is a stranger in England: it hath beene touched of the Antients in name onely: which fault they haue beene all and euerie of them to be complained of, being so briefe that nothing can be gathered from their description: and therefore I refer what might here∣of be said to a further consideration. ‡ This hath a thicke wooddy blacke root some halfe foot long, from whence arise many slender branches some foot high, which are set with many stiffe and sharpe prickles, growing somewhat after the maner of the wilde prickly Sperage: the yong plants haue little leaues like those of Tragacanth; the old ones none: the floures are smal, and come forth at the bottome of the prickles, and they are succeeded by broad cods wherein the seed is contai∣ned. It growes in diuers places of France and Spaine, and is thought to be the Scorpius of Theo∣phrastus, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 translates Nepa. ‡
This chapter hath vndergone a great alteration: as thus; the first, third, and fourth descriptions belonged to the third figure: the second and fifth descrip∣tion, to the fifth figure: and the first, second, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 figures had no descriptions belonging to them. The figure that was in the first place is now in the third; the second still holds his place: the third is in the first, belonging thereto of right: and for handsomnesse sake I haue made the fourth and fifth change places. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 also in the sixth place was formerly mentioned by our Author (but now omitted) in the chapter of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
This chapter hath vndergone a great alteration: as thus; the first, third, and fourth descriptions belonged to the third figure: the second and fifth descrip∣tion, to the fifth figure: and the first, second, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 figures had no descriptions belonging to them. The figure that was in the first place is now in the third; the second still holds his place: the third is in the first, belonging thereto of right: and for handsomnesse sake I haue made the fourth and fifth change places. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 also in the sixth place was formerly mentioned by our Author (but now omitted) in the chapter of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.