DESCRIPTIONS OF PLANTS 165 



long, imploying or covering a good plot of ground, whereon grow 

 hairy leaves divided or iagged into many parts, like the leaves ot 

 lacea viaior, or Rocket, of a very bitter taste : at the top of each 

 branch groweth one scaly head, each scale ending with five, six, or 

 seven little weake prickles growing orderly like halfe the rowell of 

 a spurre, but farre lesser : the flowers grow forth of the heads 

 of a light purple colour, consisting of many smal flowers, like 

 those of the common lacca, the bordering flowers, being bigger and 

 larger than those of the middle of the flower, each small flower 

 being divided into five small parts or leaves, not much unlike 

 those of Cyanus : the seed is small, and inclosed in downe. The 

 root perisheth when the seed is ripe. 



II This plant hath not been hitherto written of that I can find. 

 Seeds of it I received from M'. William Coys, with whom also 

 I observed the plant, 10 October. 1621. he received it from Boelius 

 a Low countrey man. — MS. f. 94; Ger. emac. 729. 



Cticiirbita Pepo L. var. 

 Macocks Virginiani. 10 Oct. 1621 



The Virginian Macocke, or Pompion. 



This hath rough cornered straked trailing branches proceeding 

 from the root, eight or nine foot long, or longer, and those againe 

 divided into other branches of a blackish greene colour, trailing, 

 spreading, or running alongst the earth, covering a great deale of 

 ground, sending forth broad cornered rough leaves, on great grosse, 

 long, rough, hairy foot-stalks, like and fully as big as the leaves 

 of the common Pompion, with clasping tendrels and great broad 

 shriveled yellow flowers also like those of the common Pompion : 

 the fruit succeedeth, growing alongst the stalkes, commonly not 

 neere the root, but towards the upper part or toppes of the 

 branches, somewhat round, not extending in length, but flat like 

 a bowle, but not so bigge as an ordinarie bowle, beeing seldome foure 

 inches broad, and three inches long, of a blackish greene colour 

 when it is ripe. The substance or eatable part is of a yellowish 

 white colour, containing in the middest a great deale of pulpe or 

 soft matter, wherein the seed lyeth in certaine rowes also, like the 

 common Pompion, but smaller. The root is made of many whitish 

 branches, creeping far abroad in the earth, and perish at the first 

 approch of Winter. — Ger. emac. 919. 



Citridlus vulgaris Schrad. 

 Melones Aquatici. The Virginian Water-Melon. 10 Oct. 1621 



This Melon or Pompion is like and fully as bigge as the common 



