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] THe common Hyssop hath foure∣square, greene, harde, & wooddishe stemmes, or brāches set with small narrow leaues, somewhat like the leaues of Lauander, but a great deale smaller and greener. The floures growe at the toppes of the branches in small tuftes, or nosegays almost like to a spikie eare, sauing that they growe by one side of the stalke. Whan the floures be past, there commeth seede which is blacke, and lieth in the smal huskes from whence the floures are fallen. The roote is blackishe, and of wooddie substance.

[ 2] There is also an other kinde of Hyssope sowen and planted of the Herboristes: the whiche is somewhat like to the other in stalkes and leaues, sauing that his brāches be shorter, & it groweth fast by the ground: the leaues be brouner & of a deeper greene, and thicker, and of a bitterer taste then the

[illustration]

Hyssopus communis.

leaues of common Hyssope. The floures be well like the floures of the other Hyssope, of a fayre deepe blew, and growing thicke togither at the toppe of the stalke, in proportion almost like to a shorte thicke & well set spikie tufte or eare. The roote is of a woddie substance, like to the roote of the other Hyssope.

[ 3] There is yet a thirde kinde like to the others in leaues and stalkes: but the floures of this kinde are milke white.