i oyo Salmon V Herbal. Lib. ]. 
as tbdjc of the other Spiderwort s. It firings up 
with four or five green Leaves , long and narrow 
yet broader at the bottom, narrower upwards , and 
p intcl at the end , like thofe of the Lilly Afpho- 
dil being a little hollow in the middle. From a- 
inong which arifes up a round ftijf Staik , a Foot 
and a half high, bearing at the Top , one above ano- 
ther / 'even or eight or more flowers , every one 
as large as the day Lilly , but much greater than 
in any of the other Spiderwort s , of a pure white 
c V with fame Threads in the middle , lift with 
yd low and a fmall forked Fointel. After the 
flowers are pajt, the head or Seed Vcjfels grow 
almoft Triangular , yet Something round , in which 
is contained blackifh Seed. 
IV. The fecond, or Greater Italian Spiderwort. 
Its Roots are long and white like the next fol- 
lowing. but Something larger. It has divers long 
and narrow Leaves Jprcad upon the Ground , and 
not rifing up as the fohiter, nor yet Jo broad , 
but fomething larger than the next following. 
The Stalk is bigger , but feldom rift s up Jo high 
as the next third Species , being long and un- 
branched, fet full oj white flowers towards the Top 
of a Starlike fajhion. but fomewhat larger. 
V. The third, or Unbranched Spiderwort. Its 
Root eonflfts of long white Strings running un- 
der Ground , like thofe of the la (l deferibed , but 
j mailer. It has fmall Grafs-like Leaves , but 
larger than thofe of Grafs , of a whitifh or gray- 
ifl) green color, rifing immediately from the head 
or Tuft of Roots. From among which rife up 
one or two Stalks, two or three feet high Some- 
times, befet towards the Top , with a great many 
fmall white Starlike flowers , which after they arc 
pfll , turn into fmall round heads , containing black 
Seed, like to the Seed of the little yellow Afpho- 
dil but leffer. 
VI. The fourth, or Branched Spiderwort. Its 
Root eonflfts of many Strings, tough and while , 
like the third: but its Leaves arc fomething 
broader , and of a yellowifh green color , much like 
in farm to Couch or Quitch Grafs , yet fomething 
thicker and f atter , and of a more whitifh green 
color. J he Stalk , which comes up from among 
the Leaves grows to be about a foot and a half 
high, and fpread out with fmall branches towards 
the Top, replenifbcd with many fmall white Star- 
like flowers , co off ing of fx Leaves apiece like 
the former , with Threads in the middle , of a 
whitifh color mixed with a fair yellow : which 
being fallen , fmall round ifh Triangular Knobs 
follow , containing black colored Seed. 
VII. The fifth, or Virginian Spiderwort, fup- 
pofed by fome to be the Virginian Silk-Grafs- 
Its Root is fringy , and creeps far under ground, 
rifing up again in many places with divers heads 
cj long folded Grafs-like Leaves, of a grey ifh 
overworn green color, two .or three for the mofl 
pari tags i cr, and not above, compa fling one a- 
. '7 the lot [am, and abiding green in many 
prj.es all the Winter, and in fome places perifh- 
ing and rifing anew in the Spring, which Leaves 
rife up. r. ■: '■ the great round Stalk, being fet 
thereon a: • ‘v joints, commonly but one at a joint , 
broad at t 're bottom, where they compafs the Stalk, 
and owing gradually J mailer towards the end 
w'iib t>:n> lies in a jharp point. At the upper 
joint which is the Top of the Stalk, there grows 
nor :>■ three fuch like Leaves, but f mailer, from 
among which break out 12, 16, or 20 or more, 
round green heads, hanging themfelves down by 
little Foot]} a Iks, winch when the flowers begin to 
blow open, grow longer , and ft and upright , ha- 
ving three fmall pale green Leaves for a husk, 
and three other Leaves within them for a flower , 
which lay themfelves flat open, of a deep blew 
purple color , having a fmall Fointel or head 
in the middle, cloje/y fet about with fix reddifh, 
hairy, or feathered Threads, tipt with yellow pen- 
dents. This flower opens it felfi in the day Time 
and (huts it jelj ufually at night , and never 0- 
pens again , but perifhes, and then hangs down its 
head again. The green husk of three Leaves, 
clofing it felf again, in the form of a head, as 
it was before, but greater the Fointel in the mid- 
dle, growing to be the Seed Veflel, in which is con- 
t ained fmall blackifh long Seed. Of thefe flowers 
feldom more than one or two are feen blown at 
a time upon the Stalk, for which reafon it is a 
long time in flowering, before all the heads are fully 
blown open. 
VIII. The F laces. ' Their Names for the moll 
parr (hew their Native Soil, or Place of growth, 
but with us they all grow in Gardens. The Tir- 
ginian is a great encreafct, and thereby is now 
grown Common almoft in every Garden. Ic was 
firlt brought to us our of Virginia', fincewe have 
received from thence feveral other Varieties, dif- 
fering chiefly in the color oi the flowers ; for 
befides this blew Purplifh here deferibed, w e have 
another which bears bigger and fairer Blew flow- 
ers: two alfo, viz. a greater and leffer, which 
have Red flowers: and one with Snow White 
floweis. In fome Years the flowers oi the Great- 
er Red will come forth double. 
IX. The Times. The third or llnbranched 
Spiderwort flowers before all the reft: and the 
Branched a Month after ir : the other rwo about 
one time, viz. towards the end of May, and 110c 
much after the Unbranched kind. Gerard fays, 
that firft and fourth flower in June, and the third 
about the beginning of June, and the fecond a- 
bout Augufl. The fifth or Virginian, from the 
end of May until July, if it has had green Leaves 
all the Winter, but later, if the Coidnefs of the 
Winter puts a flop to its Vivacity. Thefe Plants 
are all hardy, and will live and thrive almoft in 
any Soil, but beft in that which is moift. The 
time to take them and Tranfplanr them is in 
Augufl j the feveral heads of Roots may be placed 
where they may grow 2 or 3 Years unremoved. 
As they are Seed bearers, fo from the Seed, 
Plants of the beft kind are to be raifed, but 
they which fpring from the Seed are long be- 
fore they bear flowers, yet it is worth the labour 
and attendance. 
X. The Qualities. They are hot and dry in 
the firft degree, of thin parts, and Alexiphar- 
mick. 
XL The Specification. They refill poifon, and 
are pecularly good againft the biting of the Pha- 
langium or Poilonous Spider, as Authors fay, from 
whence it is thought they derived their Name. 
That of Virginia, is of no known Virtues or 
Ufe. 
XII. The Preparations. You may have from the 
Common Spiderwort, 1. A DccoUion in Wine or 
Water of the Roots, Leaves, Flowers, and Seed. 
2. A Louder of the fame. 3. A Diet Drink. 
The Virtues. 
XIII. The Deco fl ion in Wine or Water. Diof- 
corides fays, that being made in Wine, and 
Drank, it prevails againft the bitings of Scorpi- 
ons, 
