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 Oke Ferne / Petie Ferne / or Pilde Osmunde. Chap. lxiij.

THere is now a dayes found two kindes of Dryopteris, or Oke Ferne, the one is white, the other swarte, the which are not much vnlike one another.

[illustration]

Dryopteris candida. White Oke Ferne.

[illustration]

Dryopteris nigra, Blacke Oke Ferne.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THE white kinde of Dryopteris, and the male, are not muche vnlyke, but it is much smaller, and not exceeding a spanne in height and lyke∣wise it beareth neither stalke, flowers, nor sede. The leau•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 white, with great and deepe incisions and cuttes, snipt rounde about with smaller and thicker snips or iagges, then the leaues of mal•• Ferne, and it hath also smal spottes or markes vnderneath the leafe. The ro•…•…s th•…•…e and blac∣kish, with many litle rootes, twisted, pressed, and enterlaced one with another.

The blacke Dryopteris, hath the stalke or stemme of his leaues blacke, the leaues brownish, the whiche are neyther so large, nor yet so long, neyther so muche creuished or snipt, as the leaues of the white Dryopteris, but in al other partes like, and it is beset also with litle markes or spottes vnderneath. The leaues of this kind do not perish nor fade in winter, but continue greene all the yere.

❀ The Place.

[ 2] Both kindes of Dryopteris grow in holowe wayes, in shadowy and coue∣red places, in the foote or rootes of Okes, that be aged, and of many yeres con∣tinuance: but yet they are not to be founde in all places.

❀ The Tyme.

[ 1] The white Driopteris springeth vp in Aprill as Ferne doth.

[ 2] The blacke bringeth foorth his leaues at the same time.

❀ The Names.

This kinde of Ferne is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Dryopteris: In Latine Filix querna: that is in English Oke Ferne: Mathiolus, and Ruellius, both men of great knowledge, do call it in Latine Osmunda, and Osmunda Arborea. Wherefore we considering the propertie of this herbe in taking away heare, as also for a difference from the other Oke Fernes, and Osmundes, do thinke good to name this herbe in our language Osmunde Baldepate, or Pylde Os∣munde.

[ 1] The white is called in shoppes Adianthum, and to the great perill and dan∣ger of such as be sicke, is vsed for Adianthum.

[ 2] The blacke is not very well knowen of the Apothecaries, but where as it is knowen, they do lykewise call it Adianthum. This may be very wel called in our tongue, Small Osmunde, or Petie Ferne.

❀ The Nature.

The white Dryopteris, is hoate, sharpe, and very abstersiue, or clensing.

The blacke agreeth with the nature or facultie of Saluia vita, or Stone Rue.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] White Oke Ferne, whiche is the right Dryopteris, is of such strong power or vertue, that it causeth the heare to fal of, and maketh the skinne balde. But for the doing of the same, the roote must be pounde very small, and layde vpon the place whiles a man is in the stoue or hoate house, vntill he sweate well: then it must be taken away, and newe layde on, two or three times, as witnes∣seth both Dioscorides and Galen.

[ B] The blacke may be vsed for Adianthum, that is to say, Venus or Mayden heare.