A nievve herball, or historie of plantes wherin is contayned the vvhole discourse and perfect description of all sortes of herbes and plantes: their diuers [and] sundry kindes: their straunge figures, fashions, and shapes: their names, natures, operations, and vertues: and that not onely of those whiche are here growyng in this our countrie of Englande, but of all others also of forrayne realmes, commonly vsed in physicke. First set foorth in the Doutche or Almaigne tongue, by that learned D. Rembert Dodoens, physition to the Emperour: and nowe first translated out of French into English, by Henry Lyte Esquyer.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] SAynt Iohns worte hath a purple, or browne redde stalke full of branches. The leaues be long and narrow, or small, not much vnlike the leaues of gar∣den Rue, the whiche if a man do holde betwixt the light and him, they will shewe as though they were pricked thorough with the poyntes of needels. The floures at the toppe of the branches are fayre and yellow, parted into fiue small leaues, the whiche being brused, do yeelde a redde iuyce or liquor: after the floures commeth forth small huskes, somewhat long and sharpe poynted, like Barley cornes: in which is conteyned the seede, whiche is small and black, and senting like Rosin. The roote is wooddish, long and yellow.

[ 2] There is also an herbe much like to S. Iohus worte aforesayde, but it is very small and lowe, not growing aboue the length of a spanne, whose stalkes be very tender, and the leaues small and narrow, yea smaller then Rue, in all partes else like to the aforesayde.