: , 4 6 
The Cjarden of pica! ant Flowers. 
I . Elleboras albus vulgaris. White Ellebor or Neefing roote. 
The firft great white Ellebor rifeth at the firft out of the ground, with a whitilh 
grecnegrcar’ round head, which growing vp , openeth it felfe into many goodly fake 
large greene leaues, plaited or ribbed with eminent ribbes all along the leaues, com- 
piifin* oneanother at the bottom?, in the middle whereof rifeth vp a ftalke three foot 
hi^h or better, with diuers fuch like leaues thereon, but fmaller to the middle thereof; 
from whcnceto the toppeitis diuidedinto many branches, hailing many fmallyel- 
lowifli, or whitilh greene ftarre-like flowers all along vponthem, which after turne 
into fault, long.threcfqurre whitifh feede, (landing naked, without any husketo con- 
tainethem, although fome haue written otherwife : the roote is thicke and reafonable 
great at the head, hauing a number of great white firings running do wnedeepc into 
the ground, whereby it is ftrongly fattened. 
l.Eiebarus albus pracex Jiue atrorubente fore. 
The early white Ellebor with reddifh flowers. 
This other Ellebor is very like the former , but that it fpringeth vp a moneth at the 
lead before it, and that the leaues arc not fully fo thicke or fo much plaited,but aslarge 
or larger, and doe fooner perifli and fall away from the plant : the ftalke hereof is as 
high as the former, bearing fuch like ftarry flowers, but of a darke or blackiftired co- 
lour : the feedcis like the other : the roote hath no fuch head as the other (fo farre as I 
haue obferued, both by mine own and others plant«)but hath many long white firings 
fattened to the top, which is as it were a long bulbous fcaly head , out of which fpring 
thelcaucs. 
The Place. 
The firftgroweth in many places of Germany, as alfo in fome parts of 
Ruflia, in that aboundance, by the relation of that worthy, curious, and di- 
ligent fearcher and preferuer of all natures rarities and varieties, my very 
good friend, Iohn Tradefcante , often heretofore remembred, rhat,ashee 
laid, a good (hip might be loaden with the rootes hereof, which hee faw in 
anlfland there. 
The other like wife groweth in thcvpland wooddy grounds of Germa- 
nie, and other the parts thereabouts. 
The Time. 
The firft fpringeth vp in the end or middle of March , and flowreth in 
Iune.Thc fccond fpringeth in February, but flowreth not vntill Iunc. 
The Names. 
The firft is called EUcbar us albus, or Uelleborus albus , the letter H, asall 
Schollersknow, being but afptrattonis sot a : and f'eratrum album floreviri- 
dante, of fome Ssnguu Herculis. The other is called Elleborus albus prxcox, 
and flare atrarubente, or atrapurpurautc. We call the firft in Englifh, White 
Ellebor, Neefcwort, or Neefing roote,becaufe the powder of the roote is 
vfed to procure neefing ; and I call it the greater , in regard of thofe in the 
next Chapter. The other hath his name according to the Latine title, moft 
proper for it. 
TheVertues. 
The force of purging is farre greater in the roote of this Ellebor, then in 
the former 5 andtherefore is not careleflyto bee vfed, without extreame 
danger; yet in contumatious andftubborne difeafesit may bee vfed with 
good 
