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[ 1] THis is a lowe shrub or wooddish plant, with many browne hard bran∣ches, vpon whiche grow leaues somewhat long, and not much vnlyke the leaues of the greater Boxe tree, but longer. Amongst the leaued
branches, come vp other litle branches, vpon whiche growe many spokie eares or tuftes, ful of many small flowers, and after them store of square or cornered seedes clustering togither. This seede is of a strong sauour and bitter taste, and full of fat and Oylie sap. The roote is hard as the roote of Whortes or Whor∣tell plantes.
[ 2] We may well ioyne to this, that wilde plant which Hierome Bocke calleth Hedge Hysope, which bringeth foorth from a wooddish roote, slender stalkes, spreade abrode vpon the ground, couered with litle grayish leaues, something rough, in fashion lyke to garden Hysope, but shorter, at the top of whiche plant come foorth flowers fashioned lyke to the flowers of wilde Tansie, of colour somtimes a faint yellow, and somtimes white, after which come vp smal round knoppes or buttons, in whiche is founde a yellowe seede.
[ 1] The first plant groweth in Brabant, and in many places of the same Coun∣trie about Kempen.
[ 2] Hedge Hysope is founde in certayne places of Germanie and Fraunce, in wilde vntoyled places and mountaynes.
[ 1] This Rhus flowreth in May and Iune, the seede is ripe in Iuly & August.
[ 2] Hedge Hysope flowreth in Iune and Iuly.
[ 1] The first plant is called of the Brabanders Gagel, & is of some Apothecaries called Myrtus, and the seede therof Myrtilli: notwithstanding, it is not Myrtus. Wherefore it is called of some of the later writers, Pseudomyrsine, and Myrtus Brabantica, and in some places of Almaigne they cal it Altsein, and Borst, some take it to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Oleagnus, of Theophrastus, wherevnto it is not very muche lyke, but it seemeth to be that kinde of wilde Rhus, whiche Plinie spea∣keth of in the xxiiij. Chapter of the xj. booke of his excellent worke, called the Historie of Nature.
[ 2] Hedge Hysope is called in high Douche, Heyden Ysop, Felde Ysop: in base Almaigne, Heyden Hysope, bycause it groweth in Hedges, and wilde places. Some do call it in Latine, Gratia Dei, howbeit it is nothing lyke, Gratia Dei, or Gratiola, whiche is a kinde of the lesse Centaurie, set foorth in the thirde part of this Historie Chap. xlij. It seemeth to be Selago Plinij, Valerius Cordus calleth it Helian themum.
The wilde Rhus, or Sumac, especially the seede is hoate and drie almost in the thirde degree.
[ A] Wilde Rhus or Sumac is not vsed in medicine, but serueth to be layde in wardrobes and presses to keepe garmentes from mothes.