AND COMPLETE HERBAL. 3 355 
‘the whole length binding this way and that in a feemly proportion, at évery joint it 
boweth or bendeth itfelf, having a fomewhat broad and long leaf thereat, ftanding 
upon a long foot-ftalk, and is broad at the bottom, with two forked round énds, 
and then groweth narrower unto the point; the middle rib on the backfide of moft 
of them having many {mall thorns or pricks, and alfo about the edges ; the loweft 
being the largeft, and growing {maller up to the top, {mooth and of a fair green coz 
lour, and fometimes {potted with white fpots. At the joints with the leaves alfe 
come forth tendrils, like a vine, whereby it winds itfelf ; the flowers ftand at the 
_tops of the branches at three or four joints, many breaking forth into a clufter, which 
are white, compofed of fix leaves each, ftar-fafhion, and {weet in-feent, after which 
come the fruit, which are red berries when they are ripe, of the bignefs of afparagus- 
berries or fmall grapes ; and in fome lefs,. wherein are contained fometimes two or 
three hard black ftones, like thofe of afparagus. The root is flender, white, and 
tong, in hard dry grounds not fpreading far, but in the loofer and moifter places 
running down into the ground a pretty way, with divers knots and joints. 
- 2. Prickly bindweed with black-berries,. finilax afpera frufie nigro. This other 
prickly bindweed groweth like the former, : the branches being jointed in-like mané 
ner with thorns on them, but not climbing like the former 5 the leaves are fomewhat 
like it, not having thofe forked ends at the bottom of every leaf, but almoft wholly 
round, and broad at the bottom, of a darker green colour alfo, feldom having any 
thorns or pricks, either on the back or edges of the leaves, with tendrils like a vine 
alfo: the flowers come forth in the fame manner, and’are ftar-fafhion, confifting of 
fix leaves like the other, of an incarnate or blufh colour, with a'round red umbone 
in the middle of every one, which is the beginning of the berry, which when it is ripe 
will be black, being more fappy: or flefhy than the other, with ftones or kernels with- 
in them like unto it: the roots hereof are bigcer-and’fuller than the former for the 
moft part, and fpread further under the ground. 
- . Sarfaparilla of America, fmilax afpera Peruviana, The farfaparilla that cometh 
from America into Spain hath been feen frefh, even the whole plant, and hatlr been 
verified in all'thingsto refemble the prickly bindweed, and in nothing different from 
it. But certainly the plant of farfaparilla that growéth in Peru and the Weft In- 
dies is a peculiar kind of itfelf, differing from the /milax afpera’ as mechoacan doth 
from our briony: this doth wind itflf about poles or any thing elfe it can lay hold 
on to climb on the branches have crooked prickles growing on them as the fuilas 
afpera hath, but fewer and not fo fharp; it hath very green leaves like thofe of bind: | 
weed, but longer, and cornered like ivy-leaves, ending in a long point : the flowers 
are faid to be very great and white, every one as big as a middle-fized difh, which, 
No, 24. 4Z opening 
