37) «= CULPEPER’s ENGLISH) PHYSICIAN, 
+n the fame manner that other flags or flower-de-luces grow, which are thin on both 
fides, and ridged or thickeft in the middle ; the longeft, for the moft part, ftanding 
in the midit, and fome of them as it were curled or plaited towards the ends or tops 
of them; fmelling very fweet, as well when they are green and frefh as when they 
are dried and kept a long time; which do fo abide in a garden a long gine} as 
though it never did nor never would bear flower; the leaves every year drying down’ 
to the ground, and fhooting out frefh every fpring; but, after three or four, years 
abiding in a place, it fhooteth forth a narrow long leaf by itfelf, flat like unto the 
other leaves, efpecially from the middle upwards ; but from the bottom to the middle 
it is flat, at which place cometh forth one long round head, very feldom two; inform 
and bignefs like unto the catkin or aglet of the hafel-nut tree, growing upright, and 
of the length and thicknefs of one’s finger, or rather bigger ; fet with feveral fmall 
lines or divifions, like unto a green pine-apple ; of a purplifh green colour for the 
moft part; out of which bunches fhoot forth {mall pale whitifh flowers, confifting of 
four {mall leaves apiece, without fo good a fcent as the leaves, falling quickly away, 
and not yielding any feed. The root is thick and long, lying under the furface of 
the ground, fhooting forward, and with {mall roots or fuckers, on all fides like unto 
the garden valerian, whitifh on the outfide, or greenifh if it lie above the ground, and 
more pale or whitifh on the infide, with many joints thereabouts, and whereat it hath 
or doth fhoot forth long thick fibres underneath, whereby it taketh ftrong hold in 
the ground. 
~ Prace anp Time. The firft is faid by Mathiolus, and others, to grow in India, 
Syria, and Judaea; the dry ftalks of the fecond are faid to grow at the foot of Mount 
Libanus, in Syria, not far from Tripoli, in the wet grounds there; the third in fan- 
_ dry moift places in Egypt, and by the lake Gennefareth in Judza, and in divers plas 
of Syria and Arabia. 
The other calamus of the fhops, or true acorus, groweth in many places of Turkey, 
7 = rift grounds, whence the largeft roots, the firmeft, whiteft, and fweeteft, are 
é it unto us; it groweth alfo in Ruffia and thereabouts, in great plenty. It is 
s found in moift grounds in Yorkfhire, and the northern parts of England. 
s. MENT AND Virtues. Thefe reeds are under the dominion of Venus, of 4 
€ quality. The calamus of Diofcorides, he faith, hath thefe properties: it 
“Urine, and, boiled with grafs-roots and fmallage, it helpeth thofe that 
have che cops] it fortifieth the reins, and is good againft the ftranguary, and is 
alfo fo price fostaieian have the rupture; the fumes of i F it, taken oe ipo 
: | 1 : 
4 cae f 
tg a le toe ea : 
bi Cee eh 2 
