DESCRIPTIONS OF PLANTS ' 113 



every stalk dividing it selfe neere the top, or from the middle 

 upward into many parts or branches of a greener colour than the 

 lower part of the stalke : the leaves are small, smooth, of colour 

 green, of the bignes of Lentill leaves, and have in the middle one 

 rib or sinew, and no more that may bee perceived, & grow alongst 

 the stalke in very good order by couples, one opposite against the 

 other : at the tops of the small branches grow the flowers, of 

 a white colour, consisting of five small leaves apiece, the nailes 

 whereof are yellow : in the inside are placed small short chives 

 also of a yellow colour, after which come up little knobs or buttons, 

 the top whereof when the seede is ripe divideth it selfe into five 

 parts ; wherein is contained small, smooth, flat, slippery, yellow 

 seed : when the seed is ripe the herbe perisheth : the whole herbe 

 is of a bitter taste, and herby smell. It groweth plentifully in 

 the unmanured inclosures of Hampshire, on chalkie downs, & on 

 Purfleet hils in Essex, and in many other places. It riseth forth 

 of the ground at the beginning of the Spring, and flowereth all the 

 sommer. — Ger. emac. 559. 



[For the rest of Goodyer's description see p. 21.] 



Squi nancy wort. Asperida Cynanchica L. 

 Synanchica. 3 Aug. 1619 



This herbe groweth in y® inclosures of Hampshire in drie 

 Chalkie grounds. The root is crooked, blackish without, yellow 

 underneath the skinne, white within that and wooddie; about five 

 or six inches long, with many hairy strings ; from the root arise 

 many foure-square branches trailing upon the ground, sometimes 

 reddish towards the root : the leaves are small and sharpe pointed, 

 like [those of] Gallium, and grow along the stalke, on certaine 

 knees or ioints, foure or 5 together, sometimes fewer : from those 

 knees the stalk divideth it selfe towards the toppe into many parts, 

 whereon grow many flowers, each flower having foure leaves, 

 sometimes white, sometimes of a flesh colour, and every leafe of 

 these flesh coloured leaves is artificially straked in the middle, and 

 neere the sides with three lines of a deeper red, of no pleasant 

 smell : after which commeth the seed something round, growing 

 two together like stones. It flowereth all the sommer. — MS. 

 f. 81 ; Ger. emac. 11 20. 



[In the printed version the date is given as 13 August, and either 

 Goodyer or his editor has added an account of the Vertue. ' It dries 

 without biting, and it is excellent against squinancies, either taken 

 inwardly or applied outwardly, for which cause they have called it 

 Synanchica, Hist. Ltigd'\ 



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