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 Names.

This plant is called of the later writers in Latine, Sambucus palustris, and Sambucus aquatica, that is to saye, Marrishe Elder, or Water Elder, bycause of the flowers and fruite, also the timber is full of pith, lyke Elder. Cordus calleth it Lycostaphylos: some make it Chamaeplatanus: it is called in Frenche, Obiere, or Opiere: in high Douche, Schwelder, and Bacholder: in Brabant, Swelken, & Swelkenhout. This is not Opulus, as some do thinke: it may be wel called in English, Dwarffe Plane

tree: I take this to be a shrub that is called in Englishe, Whittentree, whereof are two kindes, one in all pointes agreable with Sambucus palustris, the other altereth in leafe: for his leaues be like to Elme or Witche Hassel, and this kind is very tough and flexible.