Cudweed, or Cottonweed.
♄ Description.
THe common Cudweed riseth up but with one Stalk somtime, and somtimes, with two or three, thick set on all sides with small long, and narrow whitish or wooly Leavs from the middle of the Stalk almost up to the top; with every Leaf standeth a smal Flower, of a dun or brownish yellow colour, or not so yellow as others; in which Heads after the Flowers are fallen come smal Seed wrapped up with the down therin and is crried away with the Wind. The Root is small and thred∣dy.
There are other sorts hereof, which are somwhat lesser than the former, not much dif∣ferent, save only that as the Stalk and Leavs are shorter, so the Flowers are paler, and more open.
Place.
They grow in dry, barren, sandy, and gra∣velly Grounds, in most places of this Land.
Time.
They Flower about July, some earlier, some later, and their Seed is ripe in August.
Vertues and use.
The Plants are all astringent, or binding and drying,* 1.1 and therfore profitable for De∣flnxions of Rhewm from the Head, and to stay Fluxes,* 1.2 of Blood whersoever. The De∣coction being made into red Wine and drunk, or the Pouder taken therin; it also helpeth the Bloody Flux, and easeth the torments that come therby,* 1.3 stayeth the immoderate Courses of Women, and is also good for in∣ward or outward Wounds, Hurts, and Bruises, and helpeth Children both of Burstings and the Worms; and the Diseas called Tenasmus,* 1.4 which is an often provocation to the Stool, and doing nothing, being either drunk or in∣jected: The green Leavs bruised and laid to any green Wound* 1.5 staieth the bleeding, and healeth it up quickly: The Decoction or Juyce therof doth the same, and helpeth all old and filthy Ulcers* 1.6 quickly: The juyce of the Herb taken in Wine and Milk is (as Pli∣ny saith) a Sovereign remedy against the Mumps and Quinsie;* 1.7 and further saith, That whosoever shal so take it, shal never be trou∣bled with that Diseas again.
Venus is Lady of it.