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 common Oke groweth to a great tree; the trunke or body wher∣of is couered ouer with a thicke rough barke full of chops or rifts: the armes or boughs are likewise great, dispersing themselues farre a∣broad: the leaues are bluntly indented about the edges, smooth, and of a shining greene co∣lour, whereon is often found a most sweet dew and somewhat clammie, and also a fungous ex∣crescence, which we call Oke Apples. The fruit is long, couered with a browne hard and tough pilling, set in a rough scaly cup or husk: there is often found vpon the body of the tree, and also vpon the branches, a certaine kind of long white mosse hanging downe from the same: and sometimes another wooddie plant, which we cal Misseltoe, being either an excre∣scence or outgrowing from the tree it selfe, or of the doung (as it is reported) of a bird that hath eaten a certaine berrie. ‡ Besides these there are about the roots of old Okes within the earth certaine other excrescences, which Bauhine and others haue called Vuoe quercinoe, because they commonly grow in clusters to∣gether, after the manner of Grapes and about their bignes, being sometimes round, & other∣whiles cornered, of a woody substance, hollow within; and somtimes of a purple, otherwhiles of a whitish colour on the outside: their taste is astringent, and vse singular in all 〈◊〉〈◊〉

and fluxes of bloud, as Encelius affirmes, Cap. 51. de Lapid. & Gen. ‡

3 Carolus Clusius reporteth that hee found this base or low Oke not far from Lisbone, of the height of a cubite, which notwithstanding did also beare an acorne like that of our Oke-tree, sauing that the cup is smoother, and the Acorne much bitterer, wherein it differeth from the rest of his kinde.

[illustration]

2 Quercus vulgaris cum excrementis fungosis: The common Oke with his Apple or greene Gall.

[illustration]

3 Quercus humilis. The dwarfe Oke.

There is a wilde Oke which riseth vp oftentimes to a maruellous height, and reacheth very 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with his armes and boughes, the body wherof is now and then of a mighty thicknesse, in compasse two or three fathoms: it sendeth forth great spreading armes, diuided into a multitude of boughs, The leaues are smooth, something, hard, broad, long, gashed in the edges, greene on the vpper 〈◊〉〈◊〉: the Acornes are long, but shorter than those of the tamer Oke; euery one 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in his owne cup, which is rough without: they are couered with a thin rinde or shell: the substance or kernell with∣in is diuided into two parts, as are Beans, Pease, and Almonds: the bark of the yong Okes is smooth, glib, and good to thicken skins and hides with, but that of the old Okes is rugged, thicke, hard, and full of chops: the inner substance or heart of the wood is somthing yellow, hard and sound, and the older the harder: the white and outward part next to the barke doth easily rot, being subiect to the worme, especially if the tree be not felled in due time: some of the roots grow deepe into the earth, and othersome far abroad, by which it stiffely standeth.