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 first and greatest Myrtus is a small tree, growing to the height of a man, hauing ma∣ny faire and pliant branches, couered with a browne barke, and set full of leaues much like vnto the Laurell or Bay leafe, but thinner and smaller, somewhat resembling the leaues of Peru∣incle, which being bruised do yeeld forth a most fragrant smell, not much inferiour vnto the smell of Cloues, as all the rest of the kindes do: among these leaues come forth small white floures, in shape like the floures of the Cherry tree, but much smaller, and of a pleasant sauour, which do turn into small berries, greene at the first, and afterwards blacke.

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1 Myrtus Laurea maxima. The Myrtle tree.

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‡ 2 Myrtus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 latifolia. Great Spanish Myrtle.

2 There is also another kind of Myrtus called Myrtus Baetica latifolia, according to Clusius 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Laurea, that hath leaues also like Bay leaues, growing by couples vpon his pleasant greene bran∣ches, in a double row on both sides of the stalkes, of a light greene colour, and somewhat thicker than the former, in sent and smell sweet: the floures and fruit are not much differing from the first kinde.

3 There is likewise another kinde of Myrtus called Exotica, that is strange and not common: it groweth vpright vnto the height of a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 like vnto the last before mentioned, but that it is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with greater plenty of leaues, which do fold in themselues hollow and almost double, broa∣der pointed, and keeping no order in their growing, but one thrusting within another, and as it were crossing one another confusedly; in all other points agreeing with the precedent.

4 There is another sort like vnto the former in floures and branches, but the leaues are smooth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and plaine, and not crumpled or folded at all, they are also much smaller than any of the for∣mer. The fruit is in shape like the other, but that it is of a white colour, whereas the fruit of the other is blacke.

5 There is also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kinde of Myrtle, called Myrtus minor, or noble Myrtle, as being the

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‡ 3 Myrtus exotica. Strange Myrtle.

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‡ 4 Myrtus fructu albo. Myrtle with white berries.

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‡ 5 Myrtus minor. The little Myrtle.

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‡ 6 Myrtus Baetica syluestris. Wilde Spanish 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

chiefe of all the rest (although most common and best knowne) and it groweth like a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or hedge bush, very like vnto the former, but much smaller: the leaues are smal and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 much in shape resembling the leaues of Masticke Time called Marum, but of a fresher greene 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 floures be white, nothing differing from the former sauing in greatnesse, and that sometimes they are more double.

‡ 6 This growes not very high, neither is it so shrubby as the former: the branches are small and brittle: the leaues are of a middle bignesse, sharpe pointed, standing by couples in two 〈◊〉〈◊〉, seldome in foure as the former, they are blackish also and wel smelling. the floure is like that of the rest: the fruit is round, growing vpon long stalks out of the bosomes of the leaues, first greene, then whitish, lastly blacke, of a winy and pleasant taste with some astriction. This growes wilde in di∣uers places of Portugall, where Clusius found it flouring in October: he calls it Myrtus Baetica 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ‡