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 Pole Reede / or Canes. Chap. liiij.

❀ The Kindes.

THERE are diuers kindes of Reedes, as Dioscorides and Plinie do write, whereof the sixth kinde is very common and well knowen in this Countrie.

❀ The Description.

[ 6] THE common Reede or Cane hath a long stalke or strawe full of knottie ioyntes, wherevppon grow many long rough blades or leaues, and at the top large tufts, or eares spread abrode, the whiche do change into a fine downe or cot∣ton, and is carried away with the winde, almost like the eares of Mill or Millet, but farre bigger. The roote is long & white, grow∣ing outwardly in the bottome of the water.

[ 7] The Cane of Inde, or y^e Indian Cane, is of the kind of Reedes, ve∣ry high, long, great, and strong, the which is vsed in temples & Chur∣ches to put out y^e light of candels, whiche they vse to burne before their Images.

[ 8] To these we may ioyne that Cane, whereof they make Sugar, in the Ilandes of Canare, and els where.

[ 9] Bysides these sortes, there is another aromatical, and sweete smelling kind, vnknowen in this Countrie.

[illustration]

Harundo Vallatoria. The common Pole Reede.

❀ The Place.

The common Reede or spier groweth in standing waters, and on the edges and borders of riuers.

❀ The Names.

This plante is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Harundo, or Arundo, and Calamus: in Frenche Canne, or Roseau: in high Douche Rorh: in base Almaigne Riet: in English, Common Pole Reede, Spier, or Cane Reede.

[ 1] The first kinde is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Nastus, of this kinde in times past they made arrowes and dartes.

[ 2] The seconde is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Arundo foemina, this kinde dyd serue to make tongues for pipes, shaulmes, or trumpettes.

[ 3] The thirde is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Syringias, Fistularis, of whiche they make pipes and flutes.

[ 4] With the fourth men did write in times past, as they do now vse to do with pennes and quilles of certayne birdes, the whiche for the same purpose were named Calami

[ 5] The fifth kinde is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Donax, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Arundo Cypria.

[ 6] The sixth, which is our commō Canereede, is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is to say in Latine, Arundo vallatoria, and Arundo vallaris, and Arun∣do sepicularis: in Englishe Cane Reede, Pole Reede, Spier, and the Reede or Cane of the vally.

[ 7] The seuenth is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and Arundo Indica: in Frenche Canne: in base Almaigne, Riet van Indien, and of some also, Riet van Spaengien: in English Spanish Canes, or Indian Reede.

[ 8] The Sugar Cane, hath none other particuler name, but as men do nowe cal it Arundo saccharata, or Arundo sacchari, that is to say in Englishe, Sugar Reede, or Sugar Cane: in Frenche Canne de succré: in Douche Suycker Riet.

[ 9] The Aromaticall and sweete Cane, is called in Greeke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Calamus odoratus, Calamus Aromaticus, Arundo odorata, altogither vnknowen in shoppes, for that whiche they vse to sel for Calamus Aromaticus, is no reede nor roote of a reede, but is the roote of a certayne herbe lyke vnto the Yellow Flagge or bastard Acorus, the whiche roote is nowe taken for the right Acorus.

❀ The Nature.

The Cane Reede is hoate and drie, as Galensayth.

[ 9] The Aromatical and sweete Cane, is also hoate & dry in the second degree.

❀ The Vertues.

[ A] The roote of Cane Reede or Spier, pound smal and layd to, draweth forth thornes and splinters, and mingled with vineger it swageth the paine of mem∣bers out of ioynt.

[ B] The greene tender leaues finely stamped and layde to, healeth cholerique inflammations or wilde fier, also hoate swellinges and impostumes.

[ C] The ashes of the Pole Reede mingled with vineger and layde to, healeth the roome and scales of the head, whiche do cause the heare to fal of.

[ D] The Aromatical or sweete Calamus being dronken, prouoketh vrine, and boyled with Parsley seede, is good agaynst the strangnrie, the payne of the raynes, the bladder and dropsie.

[ E] The same taken in any kind of wayes, is very agreable to al y^e inner partes, as the stomacke, the liuer, the spleene, the matrix, & agaynst burstinges or rup∣tures.

❧ The Danger.

The downe that is in the top of the Cane reede, or in the tufting tassels ther of, if it chaunce to fal into the eares, bringeth such a deafenesse, as is hard to be cured.