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 Turkie / or Aphrican Gilofers. Chap. xxv.

❀ The Kyndes.

THere be two sortes of these floures found in this countrie: one great & the other small, the great (Othanna) groweth to the height of a man, and flou∣reth very late. The small groweth low, and floureth betimes.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THe great Aphrican floure hath a long broune red, crested & knottie stalke, ful of branches, & groweth viij. or ix. foote high, hauing at euery knot or ioynt, two brāches, set with great long leaues, cōposed of many small lōg narrow leaues, nickt & tothed roūd about, & spred abrode as it were winges, & set one ouer against an other, altogither like Athanasia or garden Tansie. The floures grow at y^e ende of the branches, out of long round huskes, of a browne Orēge colour aboue, and of a faynt or pale yelow vnderneath. After the falling of the floures, the seede whiche is inclosed in the aforesayde round huskes, is long, narrow and blacke.

[ 2] The smal Aphrican floure is like vnto y^t abouesaide, in his stalkes, leaues, floures, & seede, sauing it is in al respects smaller, & groweth not very much higher than a foote. They are both in their leaues and floures of a naughtie strong & vnpleasant sauour, especially whā they be either rub∣bed or brused betwixt ones fingers.

[illustration]

Flos Aphricanus.

❀ The Place.

These floures grow in Aphrica, & from thence they where brought into this coun∣trey, after that the mightie and Noble Emperour Charles the fifth, wan the Towne and Countrie of Thunes, they are planted here in gardens.

❀ The Tyme.

[ 2] The small African Gillofer, beginneth to floure in Aprill or in May, and from thence forth all the Sommer.

[ 1] The great Othonna beginneth not to floure before August.

❀ The Names.

This floure may be called in Latin Flos Aphricanus, for it was first brought out of Aphrica into the countreys of Germany and Brabant. We do call this floure Turkie Gillofers, and French Marygoldes, Aphrican floures, or

Aphrican Gillofers: the French men do call these floures Oillets de Turque, and Oillet d'Inde: and from thence it commeth to passe that the Latinists do cal it Flos Indianus: in high Douch Indianisch Negelin: in base Almaigne Thuenis bloe∣men: of Valerius Cordus Tanaceum perunianū. Some learned men thinke that this herbe hath bene called of the Auncient wryters 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Othonna, and that it should be the Othonna, wherof Dioscorides hath writen, which groweth in A∣rabia about Egypt, whose leaues be holy, asthough they had bene eaten with Locustes, Pausmers or Snayles, which thing almost may pe perceyued in the leaues of this Indian Gillofer, if a man looke vpō them against the light. But in my iudgement it is better like to be that herbe, whiche Galen in his fourth booke of Symples calleth Lycopersium, or Lycopersion.

❀ The vile Nature and euill qualitie of this Herbe.

The Indian Gillofer is very dangerous, hurtfull, and venemous, both to man & beast, as I haue tried by experience, namely vpon a yong Catt, where∣vnto I haue giuen of these floures to eate, very finely pound with greene or fresh Cheese: wherevpon she blasted immediatly, and shortly after died. And I was moued to make this experience, by the occasion of a yong childe who had gathered of these floures & put them into his mouth, so that straight waies his mouth & lippes did swell exceedingly & within a day or two after, they became very sore and scabbed, as also it doth often happen to them, that put into their mouthes the pipes, or hollow stalkes of Hemlocke. Wherfore it is manifest that this herbe with his floure is very euil and venemous, and of complexion much like vnto Hemlocke, the whiche also may be partely perceyued by his foule and lothsome sauour, whiche is very strong and stinking, not muche differing from the rancke and noysom smell of Hemlocke.