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

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Title
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
Author
Gerard, John, 1545-1612.
Publication
London :: Printed by Adam Islip Ioice Norton and Richard Whitakers,
anno 1633.
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Subject terms
Botany -- Pre-Linnean works -- Early works to 1800.
Botany, Medical -- Early works to 1800.
Gardens -- England -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A01622.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A01622.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 7, 2025.

Pages

¶ The Description.

1 THe common Bramble bringeth forth slender branches, long, tough, easily bowed, tam∣ping among hedges and whatsoeuer stands neere vnto it; armed with hard and sharpe prickles, whereon doe grow leaues consisting of many set vpon a rough middle rib, greene on the vpper side, and vnderneath somewhat white: on the tops of the stalks stand certaine floures, in shape like those of the Brier Rose, but lesser, of colour white, and sometimes washt ouer with a little purple: the fruit or berry is like that of the Mulberry, first red, blacke when it is ripe, in taste betweene sweet and soure, very soft, and full of grains: the root creepeth, and sendeth forth here and there yong springs.

‡ Rubus repens fructu caesio.

‡ 2 This hath a round stalke set full of small crooked and very sharpe pricking thornes, and creepeth on hedges and low bushes of a great length, on the vpper side of a light red colour, and vn∣derneath greene, and taketh rootwith the tops of the trailing branches, whereby it doth mightily

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encrease: the leaues grow without order, composed of three leaues, and sometimes of fiue, or else the two lower leaues are diuided into two parts, as Hop leaues are now and then, of a light greene colour both aboue and vnderneath. The floures grow on the tops of the branches, racematim, many together, sometimes white, sometimes of a very light purple colour, euery floure containing fiue leaues, which are crompled or wrinkled, and do not grow plaine: the fruit followes, first green, and afterwards blew, euerie berry composed of one or two graines, seldome oboue foure or fiue grow∣ing together, about the bignesse of corans; wherein is contained a stony hard kernell or seed, and a iuyce of the colour of Claret wine, contrarie to the common Rubus or Bramble, whose leaues are white vnderneath: the berries being ripe are of a shining blacke colour, and euery berry containes vsually aboue forty graines closely compacted and thrust together. The root is wooddy and la∣sting. This growes common enough in most places, and too common in ploughed fields. Sept. 6. 1619. Iohn Goodyer.

3 The Raspis or Framboise bush hath leaues and branches not much vnlike the common Bramble, but not so rough nor prickly, and sometimes without any prickles at all, hauing onely a rough hairinesse about the stalkes: the fruit in shape and proportion is like those of the Bramble, red when they be ripe, and couered ouer with a little downinesse; in taste not very pleasant. The root creepeth far abroad, whereby it greatly encreaseth. ‡ This growes either with prickles vp∣on the stalkes, or else without them: the fruit is vsually red, but sometimes white of colour. ‡

[illustration]
1 Rubus. The Bramblebush.
[illustration]
2 Rubus Idaeus. The Raspis bush or Hinde-berry.

4 Stone Bramble seldome groweth aboue a foot high, hauing many small flexible branches without prickles, trailing vpon the ground, couered with a reddish barke, and somwhat hairy: the leaues grow three together, set vpon tender naked foot-stalkes somewhat snipt about the edges: the floures grow at the end of the branches, consisting of foure small white leaues like those of the Cherry tree: after which come small Grape-like fruit, consisting of one, two, or three large trans∣parent berries, set together as those of the common Bramble, of a red colour when they be ripe, and of a pleasant taste, but somewhat astringent. The roots creepe along in the ground very farre abroad, whereby it greatly increaseth.

4 Chamaemorus (called in the North part of England, where they especially doe grow, Knot∣berries, and Knought-berries) is likewise one of the Brambles, though without prickles: it brings

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forth small weake branches or tender stems of a foot high; whereon do grow at certaine distances rough leaues in shape like those of the Mallow, not vnlike to the leaues of the Gooseberrie bush: on the top of each branch standeth one floure and no more, consisting of fiue small leaues of a dark purple colour: which being fallen, the fruit succeedeth, like vnto that of the Mulberrie, whereof it was called Chamaemorus, dwarfe Mulberry; at the first white and bitter, after red and somwhat plea∣sant: the root is long, something knotty; from which knots or ioynts thrust forth a few threddie strings. ‡ I take that plant to which our Author hereafter hath allotted a whole chapter, and cal∣led Vaccinia nubis, or Cloud-berries, to be the same with this, as I shall shew you more largely in that place. ‡

[illustration]
4 Rubus Saxatilis. Stone blacke Berry bush.
[illustration]
5 Chamaemorus. Knot berry bush.

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