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.

Of Echium or Tipers Buglosse. Chap. iiij.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] EChium hath long rough and hearie leaues, much like to the leaues of Buglosse, but smaller than the leaues of the first Buglosse. The stalke is rough, full of littell braunches, charged on euery side with diuerse small narrow leaues, sharp pointed, and of a browne greene colour, scattered or spredde like littell feathers, and very small towardes the height or toppe of the stalke: betwixt whiche leaues are the floures of a sadde blew or purple colour at the first, but whan they do open, they shew a fayre A∣zure colour, long and hollow, with foure or fiue littell small blewe threedes: nothing answering the floures of the other Buglosses, but onely in the colour. After that the floure is fallen, the seede is blacke and small, like to the head of an Adder or Viper. The roote is long and straight, and redde without.

[ 2] Of this sorte there is an other kinde, whose leaues, stalkes, rootes, and floures, are very like vnto the foresaide: but his floures are of a light redde or purple colour.

❀ The Place.

[ 1] It delighteth in fruitefull places, and fertile soyle, as aboute Brussels, and Louayne, and diuers other places of Brabant.

[ 2] But that which beareth purple or light tedde floures, groweth in Fraunce especially about Montepelier.

❀ The Tyme.

It floureth almoste all the Somer long, & oftentimes or at sundry seasons it bringeth forth seede as the other Bu∣glosses.

❀ The Names.

It is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Echium Alcibiacum. Apuleius calleth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Greeke: Viperina and Serpentaria in La∣tine: in Spanishe Yerua della biuora: in French l'Herbe aux Vipers, and l'Herbe aux Serpens: in base Almaigne Slanghen∣cruye: it is called in English wilde Bu∣glosse the lesser: it may be also called Vi∣pers herbe, or Vipers Buglosse.

❧ Theoccasion of the name Alcibiacum.

This herbe was called Alcibiacum, & Alcibiadion of one Alcibiades the first finder out of the vertues of this herbe, apresent remedie against the bitings of Serpēts. Foras the aūcient Nicander writeth, Alcibiades (being asleepe) was hurtwith a Serpent: wherefore whan he awoke and saw this hearbe, he tooke of it unto his mouth and chewed it, swa∣lowing downe the iuyce thereof: after that he layed the herbe being so chewed vpon the sore, and was healed. Others name it Echion, Echidnion, Viperina, &c. Whiche is asmuch to say as Vipers herbe, which names haue bene giuen to this plante, bycause it is very good a∣gainst the bitings of Serpents and Vipers, and bycause also his seede is like the head of an Adder or Viper.

[illustration]

Echion siue Alcibiacum.

❀ The Nature.

It is of the same nature that Buglosse is of: but that it is somwhat hoater and more subtile.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The roote boyled in wine and dronke, doth not onely helpe such as are hurt by Serpents, but also, after that a man hath taken it in manner aforesaide, it will preserue him from being so hurte. The like vertue hath the leaues & seede.

[ B] It swageth the payne of the raynes or loynes.

[ C] Also being dronken with wine or otherwise, it causeth plenty of milke in womens breastes.