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 water lyllie. Chap. xxviij.

❀ The Kyndes.

THere be two kindes of water Lyllies, that is to say, the yellow, & the white, not onely differing in floure but also in roote.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THe white water Lillie, hath great broade roundishe leaues, sometimes fleeting or swimming aboue the water, and somtimes vnder, the which all do spring vp from the roote, vpon long rounde smooth stalkes. The floures do also growe vpon suche like stemmes comming from the roote, and they haue in the middle many yellow threedes, or thrommes, compassed round about with xxvj. or xxviij. white leaues set in very good order, each leaf almost as large as ones finger, or like in proportiō to the leaues of Houselike or Sen∣greene. Whan the floures be past, there cōme in their steede rounde knoppes or bolliens, wherin the seede lieth, which is large and swarte. The roote is blacke and rough, sometimes of the bignesse of ones arme with many threedy strings.

[ 2] The yellow water Lyllie his leaues be very muche like to the white, his floures be yellow and smaller then the floures of the white, the whiche being fallen, there commeth in their place round long knoppes or bolliens, narrow at

the toppe, like to a small glasse or phiall. The roote is white and of a spongie substance, of the greatnesse of ones arme, ful of knobbes and knottes, with cer∣tayne great stringes hanging by it.

[illustration]

Nymphaea alba. White water Lillie.

[illustration]

Nymphaea lutea. Yellow water Lillie.

❀ The Place.

These floures do grow in Riuers and Pooles, and other standing waters.

❧ The Tyme.

Water Lillie floureth in Iune, and sometimes sooner.

❀ The Names.

[ 1] The first kinde of these floures, is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Nym∣phaea, of some Clauus Veneris, and Papauer palustre: of the Apothecaries Nenu∣phar: in English White water Lillie, Water Rose, and white Nenuphar: in Italian Nenuphar biancho: in Spanish Adarguas del Rio, Escudettes del Rio, Figuos del Rio blanquos: in French Nenuphar blanc, or Blanc d'eaué: in high Douch Seeblu∣men, wasser Gilgen, Wassermahen, Horwurtz, Horftang: in Brabant Plom∣pen, and witte Plompen.

[ 2] The second kinde is called in Latine Nymphaea lutea, and Nenuphar citri∣num: in English Yellow Nenuphar, or Water Lillie: in Italian Nenuphar gi∣allo: in Spanish Figuos del Rio amarillos, Golfan Amarillo: in French Nenuphar iaulne, or Iaulne d'eaué. The floure thereof, as Dioscorides wryteth, is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Blephara.

❀ The Nature.

Both sortes of Nenuphar, and specially the roote are in temperature colde

and dry without any acrimonie or sharpnesse.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The roote or seede of the white water Lillie, boyled in wine and dronkē, is good for them that haue the laske, the blouddie flixe and Tenaūne, whiche is a desire to go often to the stoole and may do nothing.

[ B] The same roote boyled in white wine, cureth the diseases of the Milte and Bladder.

[ C] The roote & seede of the white water Lillie are very good agaynst Venus, or fleshly desires, if one drinke the Decoction thereof, or vse the pouder of the saide seede and roote in meates: for it dryeth vp the seede of generation, and so causeth to liue in chastitie. The same propertie is in the roote as Plinie writeth, if it be brused and applied outwardly to the secrete partes.

[ D] The Conserue of the floures therof, is also very good for all y^e aforesayd dis∣seases, moreouer it is good against hoate burning feuers, & the head ache, & it causeth sweete and quiet sleepe, and putteth away all venereous dreames.

[ E] The roote thereof brused or stamped, is good to be layde to the payne and inflammation of the stomacke, and the bladder.

[ F] The same roote pounde with water, taketh away all the spottes of the skin whan it is rubbed therewithall, and being mengled with Tarre, it cureth the naughtie scurffe of the head.

[ G] The roote of water Lillie being yet greene, pound & layde vpon woundes, doth stanche the bloud, as Theoplirastus writeth.

[ H] The roote of yellow water Lillie, boyled in thicke redde wine and dron∣ken, stoppeth the inordinate course of the floures, especially the white fluxe.