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 Asparagus. Chap. liiij.

❀ The Kindes.

There be two sortes of Asparagus, the garden and wilde Asparagus.

[illustration]

Asparagus. Sperage.

[illustration]

Corruda. Wilde Sperage.

❀ The Description.

[ 1] THe Asparagus of the gardē at his first comming foorth of the ground, putteth foorth long shutes or ten∣der stalkes, playne, rounde, without leaues, as bigge as ones finger, grosse, and thicke, hauing at the top a certayne bud or knop, the whiche after∣warde spreadeth abrode into many branches hanging lyke heares. The fruite groweth vpon the branches lyke round berries, first greene, and afterward of a yellowish red▪ euen of the colour of Coral, within that berrie is a blacke sede. The rootes be long and slender and interlaced or wouen one in another.

[ 2] The wilde Asparagus in his first springes and fruite, is muche lyke to the garden Sparagus, the rest is altogither rough and pricking, for in steede of the long soft heares, wherewithal the garden Asparagus is couered, this hath no∣thing els but thornes, very smal, hard, short, & prickley, wherwithal the brāches are furnished.

❀ The Place.

[ 1] The manured or tame Asparagus groweth in Burgundie and some other Countries as in Almaigne, in stony places, where as is good earth, and fatte ground: in this Countrie it is planted in the gardens of Herboristes.

[ 2] The wilde kinde groweth in certayne places of Italy, and throughout all Languedoc.

The bare stalkes or first tender springes of Asparagus shute vp in Aprill, at what time they be boyled & eaten in salade, with oyle, salt, & vineger. The fruit is ripe in August.

❧ The Names.

[ 1] Garden Asparagus is called in greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine, Asparagus, & in shops Sparag: in high douch, Spargē: in base Almain Coraelcruyt: in english sperage.

[ 2] The wild Asparagus is called in Greke 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: in Latine Asparagus syluestris, and Curruda: vnknowen in the shoppes of this Countrie.

¶ The Nature.

Asparagus, especially the rootes are temperate in heate and cold, taking part of a certaine drynesse.

❧ The Vertues.

[ A] The first tender springs of Asparagus parboyled & eaten with oyle & vineger, prouoke vrine, and are good agaynst the strangurie, and they soften the belly.

[ B] The decoction or broth of Asparagus, by it selfe (or with Ciche Peason) dronken openeth the stoppinges of the liuer and kidneyes: and also it is good against the Iaundice, stopping of the water, strangury, and the grauel & stone.

[ C] Some say, that if it be taken in the same maner, it easeth and consumeth the Sciatica and payne of members out of ioynt.

[ D] The roote boyled in wine is good for thē y^t are bitten of any venemous beast.