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Scurvy-grass.
Description.
OUr ordinary English Scurvygrass hath ••••any th•••• fat Leavs, more long than broad, and somtimes longer and narrower, somtimes also smooth on the edges, and som∣times a little waved, sometimes plain, smooth, and pointed, somtimes a little hollow in the middle and round pointed, of a sad green, and somtimes brownish colour, every one standing by it self upon a long Footstalk, which is brownish or greenish also: from among which rise smal slender Stalks, bearing a few Leaves thereon like the other, but longer and lesser for the most part: At the tops whereof grow many whitish Flowers, with yellow threds in the middle, standing about a green head which becometh the Seed Vessel, which will be som∣what flat when it is ripe, wherein is contained reddish Seed tasting somwhat hot: The Root is made of many white strings, which stick deeply in the mud, wherein it chiefly deligh∣teth•• yet it will well abide in the more upland and dryer grounds, and tasteth a little brackish or Salt, even there, but not so much as where at hath the Salt water to feed upon.
Place.
It groweth all along the Thames side, both on the Esseae and Kentish Shoars, from ••ool∣wich round about the Sea Coasts to Dover, Portsmouth, and even to Bristol, where it is had in plenty: The other with round Leavs groweth in the Marshes in Holland in Lin∣colnshire, and other places of Lincolnshire by the Sea side.
Description.
There is also another sort called Dutch Scur∣vy-Grass, which is most known and frequent in Gardens, which hath diverse fresh green, and almost round Leaves rising from the Root, nothing so thick as the former, yet in some rich ground, very large, even twice so big as others, not dented about the edges, nor hollow in the middle, every one standing upon a long Footstalk: from among these rise up divers long slender weak Stalks higher than the former, and with more white Flowers at the tops of them, which turn into smaller pods, and smaller brownish Seed than the former: The Root is white, smal, and threddy: The tast of this is nothing Salt ar all, but hath an hot Aromatical spicy tast.
Time.
They Flower in April or May, and give their Seed ripe quickly after.
Vertues and Use.
The English Scurvey-grass is more used for the Salt tast it beareth, wth doth somwhat open and clense, but the Dutch Scurvey-grass is of better effect, and chiefly used (if it may be had) by those that have the Scurvey,* 1.1 especially to purge and clense the Blood, the Liver, and the Spleen, for all which Diseases it is of singular good effect by taking the Juyce in the Spring every morning fasting in a cup of Drink: The Decoction is good for the same purpose, and the Herb tunned up in new Drink, either by it self or with other things, for it openeth Obstructions, evacuateth cold clammy and Flegmatick Humors both from the Liver and the Spleen, wasting and consuming both the swelling and hardness thereof, and thereby bringing to the Body a more lively colour. * 1.2The Juyce also helpeth all foul Ulcers and Sores in the Mouth, if it be often gargled therewith; and used outwardly, clenseth the Skin from spots, marks, or Scars, that happen therein.