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 Scabius. Chap. lxxiij.

❀ The Kyndes.

THere are found in this coūtrey three kindes of Scabius, like one to an other: aswell in the floures, as in the leaues.

[illustration]

Scabiosa Communis. Scabius.

[illustration]

Scabiosae tertium genus. Sheepes Scabius.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THe first kinde which is the most common & the greatest, at his first cō∣ming vp, his leaues be long and small, of a grayishe hore colour, and hearie, spread abroade vpon the ground, amongst the which springeth vp round, and hearie shootes or stēmes, bearing leaues very iagged, of a hoare grayishe colour, & hearie also, in fasshion somewhat like to the leaues of the great Valerian, whiche we call Setwall. At the toppe of the stalkes groweth blewish floures in thicke tuffets, fasshioned like to a littell flat rounde Hatte. The roote is white, long and single.

Of this sorte there is found an other kinde, in all poyntes like to the afore∣sayde

sauing that at euery head or knap, there groweth in the steede of floures, many other small knoppes, or littell tuffets of floures, hanging downe by long stemmes. after the same manner, as one may also sometimes see, in some kindes of Daysies, and Marigolds.

[ 2] The second kinde of Scabious is the smallest or least amongst the kindes of Scabious, no higher than ones hande, much like vnto the great Scabious, both in his leaues and floures, sauing that it is smaller, and the leaues be more deeper cut and iagged.

[ 3] The third kinde is as it were a meane betwixte the other twayne, smaller than the greatest, and bigger than the smallest, in floures much like the other twayne. The leaues be long, hearie and grayish, snipt, and cut rounde aboute, but nothing so much or so deepely gaysht, as the two others. The roote is long and slender like the roote of the first and greatest Scabious.

[ 4] There is also an herbe like vnto Sca∣bious, growing to the heigth of a foote & half or two foote long, with long narrow leaues, like to the leaues of the greater Scabious, or Diuels bitte, the which be somwhat snipt, and bluntly cut about the edges. The stalkes or stemmes be round, vpon the toppes whereof groweth small round knappes or bollines, couered with scales, like to the knops of blew Bottell, or Cornefloure, but much greater, out of the middest wherof groweth purple hea∣rie floures, like to the middell parte of Cyanus or Blew bottell. The roote is thicke, shorte, & croked, with many three∣dy strings.

❀ The Place.

The great Scabiouse and Iacea nigra, do grow in medowes and pastures. The smaller Scabious groweth in medowes and watery groundes that stande lowe. Sheepes Scabiouse groweth in the fieldes, and by the way sides.

❀ The Tyme.

They do all floure in Iune and Iuly.

[illustration]

Iacea nigra. Materfilon or Knapweede.

❀ The Names.

These herbes were not described of the Auncient writers (as far as I can learne) and therfore they haue no Greeke nor Latine name to vs knowen.

[ 1] The first is now called in Shoppes Scabiosa: and of some 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in English Scabious: in French Scabieuse: in Douch Apostemkraut, Pestemkraut, and Grindtkraut: in base Almaigne Scabiose.

[ 2] The second is now called Scabiosa minor, that is to say, small Scabious.

[ 3] The third is called in English Sheepes Scabious: in French Scabieuse de brebis: in base Almaigne Schaeps Scabiose.

[ 4] The fourth is now called in Shoppes Iacea nigra, and Materfilon: and it hath none other name knowen vnto vs.

❀ The Nature.

All the Scabiouses are hoate & dry, digesters & diuiders of grosse humors.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] Scabious boyled by it self, or with his roote, in wine or water and dronken, doth clense the breast, and the lunges, and is good against an old Cough, & the impostems of the breast, and all other inward partes, as in the clensing, ripping, sodering, & healing of the same. The same effect hath the Conserue made with the floures of Scabiouse and sugar to be vsed dayly.

[ B] Scabious is also good against all itch & scuruinesse, to be pound and layde to the same, or to be mixte with oyles and oyntments fit for the same.

[ C] The lye wherin Scabious hath ben boyled or stiped, doth clense the heare frō all bran or white scurffe, (whiche is small duste or scales, which falleth from the head) whan the head and heare is wasshed therewithall.

[ D] The Decoction of Iacea nigra gargeled, or whan the mouth is often wasshed therewithall it doth waste & consume the impostems of the mouth and throte, that are yet fresh and new, and doth ripe and breake them that be olde.

[ E] The small Scabious and the sheepes Scabious, are not vsed in medicine.