Adam in Eden, or, Natures paradise the history of plants, fruits, herbs and flowers with their several names ... the places where they grow, their descriptions and kinds, their times of flourishing and decreasing as also their several signatures, anatomical appropriations and particular physical vertues together with necessary observations on the seasons of planting and gathering of our English simples with directions how to preserve them in their compositions or otherwise : ... there is annexed a Latin and English table of the several names of simples, with another more particular table of the diseases and their cures ... / by William Coles ...

CHAP. CCCI. Of Flower-gentle, and Blites.

The Names.

FLower gentle is called in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Amaranthus, because the red Flower thereof, will endure for a very long time, without any sensible decay, if it be gathered in its right season; by which name it is known amongst the La∣tines, who sometimes call it Flos Amoris, from its lovely aspect, from whence we have it called in English Fleuramer, Flower-gentle, Flower Velure, and Velvet Flower from its softnesse, but it is most commonly called Amaranthus by the Flo∣rists of our dayes. Blitt is called in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because it is quasi fatuum olu••, unsavory and without taste, and therefore Dioscorides put it amongst those Herbs that be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 insipida; in Latin Blitus and Blitum, in English Blite and Blites.

The Kindes.

Though Awaranthus be a kinde of Blite, and not Blite a kinde of Amaranthus, yet because Amaranthus is better known in these dayes than Blite, and of more ef∣ficacy for our present purpose, therefore I have set it in the Front. 1. The common purple Flower-gentle. 2. The neat lesser purple Flower-gentle. 3. Spotted or variable Flower-gentle. 4. The greater Fleuramor, or purple Flower-gentle. 5. The green Flower-gentle of New-England. 6. Crimson-velvet Flower-gentle. 7. Crested Flower-gentle. 8 Great white Blite. 9. Small wild white Blite. 10. Small wild red Blite. 11. Wild Blite with much seed.

The Forme.

The Common purple Flower-gentle riseth up wi••h a stalk a Cubit high, and sometimes higher, which is straked or chamfered along the fame, yet towards the Ro••t it is very smooth, and of a reddish colour, dividing it self towards the top in∣to small branches, about which stand long leaves, broad, sharp pointed, soft, slip∣pery, of a green colou••, and tending to reddish; the Flowers are long, spiky, soft and gentle tufts of haires, many as it were growing together, broad at the bot∣tom, and small up at the top, Pyramis or Steeple fashion, very brave to look up∣on, but without any smell at all; which being bruised, yeildeth a Juyce of almost the same colour,: the seed lyeth scattered in the tufts aforesaid, being small and

somewhat black, but glittering; the root ••••short and full of strings, perishing eve∣ry Winter.

The Places and Time.

All the sorts of Amaranthus are strangers by Extraction, some coming from the Eastern Countreys, as Persia, Syria, Arabia, &c. others from the Western, as New England, and the West Indies, yet some of them are pretty well naturalized, being common in our Gardens, and the rest are to be seen in the Gardens of the curious, as in that of John Trad••sca•••• at Lambeth. &c. The sorts of Blites are found wild in divers places of our own Land. The Amaranthus beareth its gallant tufts o•• sp••kes in August for the most part, yet some perfect them not untill Sep∣tember. The Blite flourisheth all the Summer long, seeds about August or Septem∣ber, and continues green all the Winter, in which it differeth from the former.

The Temperature.

Flower gentle is held to be of a binai••g faculty, and consequently to be cold and dry, but Blite is cold and moist in the second degree.

The Signature and Vertues.

The Flowers of Amaranthus dryed and beaten into power, stops the Termes in Women and that by Signature, if it be put into Wine and Honey boyled together and drunk, and so it is effectual for the perillous Flux of blood, & continual pain of the Belly, w••th often scouring and spitting of blood, bleeding at the Nose, and also for the Whites in Women. The said Flower boyled in Wine, and the Decocti∣on drunk, is available against all venemous bitings, the Sciatica, distilling of the Ʋrine and Ruptures: The Herb boyled in Wine, and the Fundament fomented therewith, taketh away the painful Piles; and restraineth their bleeding, and stay∣eth the often going to the Stoole, the Herb being also applyed. The Root held in the Mouth ceaseth the pains of the Teeth, and being stamped and made into an Oyntment with May-butter, it assw••geth all Inflammations. The Herb being boy∣led and applyed, is a speedy Remedy for any Bruise. The dryed Herb keepeth Garments from the Wormes and Moaths, if it be said amongst them. Blites are used amongst the poorer sort of people in France for food, but they yeild to the bo∣dy small nourishment, as Gal••n saith, and by often eating b••come obno••ious, by causing V••miting and Fluxes of the Belly, with exceeding gripings: The Physicall use of them is to restrain the Fluxes of blood either in Man or Woman, especially the Red, which it doth by Signature, as the white sort doth the Whites in Women. The White Bleet with much ••••ed, which is therefore called All-seed of some, is a very acceptable bait unto Fishes, as hath been proved by experience: Some Old Wives will not suffer any Blites to be put into their Pottage, for fear of hurting their Ey•• sight.