292 The. Garden of p leaf ant Flowers. 



CHAP. LIX. 

 Pyrethrum officinarum. Pelletory of Spaine. 



IMuft needes adioyne vnto the Camomils this fine and tender plant, for fome neare 

 refemblance it hath with them in face, though not in quality. It is a fmall and lowe 

 plant, bearing many fine greene leaues vpon his flender branches, which leane or 

 lye down vpon the ground, diuided into many parts, yet fomewhat larger and broader 

 then Camomill, the ftalkes whereof are bigger, and more iuicie then it : the flowers 

 that ftand at the toppes of the ftalkes are fingle, but much larger then any Camomill 

 flower, hauing a pale or border of many leaues, white on the vpperfide, and reddifh 

 vnderneath, fet about the yellow middle thrumme ; but not ftanding fo clofe together 

 ioyning at the bottome, as the Camomill flowers doe, but more feuered one from an- 

 other : it beareth fmall whitifh feede, which is hardly found and difcerned from the 

 chafFe : the roote is long, and growing downe right, of the bigneffe of a mans finger 

 or thumbe in our Countrey, but not half fo great where it groweth naturally, with 

 fome fibres and branches from the fides thereof, of a very hot, fharpe, and biting 

 tafte, drawing much water into the mouth, after it hath been chewed a while : the plant 

 with vs is very tender, and will hardly or not at all endure the hardnefle and extremi- 

 ties of our Winters, vnlefle it be very carefully preferued. 



The Place. 



It groweth in Spaine wilde in many places, and in other hot Countries, 

 where it may feele no frofts to caufe it perifh. 



The Time. 



, 



It flowreth fo late with vs, that it is not vntill Auguft, that oftentimes we 

 cannot gather ripe feedes from it, before it perifh. 



The Names. 



The name Pyrethrum (taken from trvp, that is, ignis, fire) is giuen to this 

 plant, becaufe of the heate thereof, and that the roote is fomewhat like in 

 fliew, but fpecially in property vnto the true Pyrethrum of Diofcorides, 

 which is an vmbelliferous plant, whofe rootes are greater, and more feruent 

 a great deale, and haue a hayrie bufh or toppe as Meum, and many other 

 vmbelliferous plants haue. It is alfo called in Latine, Salinaris, of the effect 

 in drawing much moifture into the mouth, to be fpit out. We doe vfually 

 call it Pelletory of Spaine. 



The Vertues. 



It is in a manner wholly fpent to draw rheume from the teeth, by chewing 

 it in the mouth, thereby to eafe the tooth-ach, and likewife from the head, 

 in the paines thereof. 



CHAP. 



