FAMILY HERBAL, 179 



I ^. 



tliemselves upon the ground, in a circular maDncr^ 

 as we seethe stalks of our bird's foot and many 

 other little plants. These stalks are thick and 

 M'oody^ and about four inches in length : they lie 

 upon the ground toward the base, but lay turned 

 up a little at the tops, and each of them has a num- 

 ber of branches. The leaves are long, narrow, 

 and of a pale green ; they aye very numerous, and 

 they stand irregularly. The flowers are small^ 

 and white like those of our shepherd's purse. The 

 seed-vessels are small^ and contain several seeds 

 like those of the common treacle mustard. 



This is the appearance of the plant, as it grows 

 very frequent in the warmer climates ; and thus 

 it has nothing singular in it, while in its perfection 

 of growth^ but after a time, the leaves decay and 

 fall off, and the stalks |as they dry, in the heat, 

 draw up more and more, till by degrees they get 

 into this round figure, from which-, warm water 

 will expand them, but they recover it again as 

 they dry. 



'This is the real history of that little kind of trea- 

 cle mustard, which is called the rose of Jericho, 

 and concerning which so many idle, as well as 

 strange things have been said. Our good women 

 have many ways of trying many experiments with 

 it, by way of deciding future events, but nothing 

 can be so foolish. The nature of the plant will 

 make it expand, and open its branches, when put 

 into warm water, and draw them together again, as 

 it grows dry. This will always happen, and it will 

 be .more quick or more slow, according to the con- 

 dition of the plant. Where it is to be had fresh, 

 it does not want medicinal virtues. The young 

 shoots are good in infusion against sore throats, but 



we have the plant without its leaves, and in reality* 



