Chap. 729. Unglijh Herhs. 12^1 
great Bujh of Mowers, out of a thin Skin , to the 
number of 20, fometimes of 30 or 40, every one 
upon a long boot ftalk, hanging down their Heads 
for the moft part , efpecially thefe which are out- 
wardmoft, each /landing within a Husk of green 
Leaves turned to the Stalkward , like to the 
Virginia Lyfimachia Flower, and each of them con - 
fifing of five fmall Leaves , of a pale Purplifh 
color on the upper fide , and of a pale yellowijh 
Purple underneath , both fides of each Leaf being 
as it were folded together , making them feem 
hollow and pointed , with a few fhort Chives in 
the middle : After which, come long and crooked 
Cods, ft ending upright and jharp pointed, in 
which are contained flat brownifh Seed , d'tfperfed- 
ly lying within a great deal of fine [oft and 
whitifh browA Silk , very like unto Cods, Seed, 
and Silk of Afclepias or Swallow-wort, but that 
the Cods are greater, more crooked, and harder al - 
jo in the outward Shell. This fo Beautiful a Plant, 
( as Parkinfon calls it ) even the whole Plant, 
Leaves and Stalks being broken, yields a pale 
Milk. 
V. The fecond, or Periploca Virginians minor, 
five Apocynum Virginianum minus, or leffer Vir- 
ginia Silk-Grafs. This creeps not with its Roots 
in the Ground, like the former, but from many 
long fibres J. hoots forth a round brown Stalk about 
half a Lard high, having at each Joint a pair 
of long narrow Leaves, and at top fuch a large 
Tuft of flowers at in the fir ft , but of a deeper 
Purple color, which have a certain clamminefs on 
them, that will detain Flies, or other light things 
which happen to fall thereon ; after which, come 
long andjirait Cods, (net Crooked like the Greater 
fort) with fiat brown Seed lying therein, in a 
white kind of Silk or Down, like unto Alclepias 
or Swallow-wort : This yields a Milky Sap or 
Juice like the other , which fome think to be dan- 
gerous, the' Experience has declar'd no fuch 
thing and therefore mud be left to a farther 
Scrutiny, by Tryals hereafter to be made. 
VI. The Places. They both are Natives of 
Virginia , and other places of the Weft -Indies, 
where they grow abundantly. They have been 
often raifed by Seeds which have come from thence, 
and altho’ the Stalks dye to the Ground every 
Winter, yet the Root is of long continuance, and 
will fend forth new at the Spring, efpecially if 
the place where it grows be covered with Hoife- 
Dung in the Winter, to defend it from the Frofts. 
VII. The Times. They Flower in July , but 
not every Year, and their Silk and Seeds are ripe 
in Auguft, but it icaicely ever brings forth its Cods 
with us, by reafon of the coldnefs of our Climate. 
VIII. ’ Obfervat. Gerard fays, (of the larger 
Species) that the Cods are fluffed full of a molt 
pure Silk, of a Alining white color, among which 
Silk is the Seed. Thefe Cods are not only full of 
Silk but every Nerve or Sinew, wherewith the 
Leaves are Ribbed, are likewife moft pure Silk; 
as alfo the Peelings of the Stems, Stalks, or 
Branches which come from them, even as Flax 
or Hemp’ from their Stalks. ’Tis admirable to 
think how God has Bleffed thofe Countries with 
a Subftantial matter (which they daily tread under 
Foot) by which they may be both well and Ho- 
nourably Cloathed, and which is fufficient to 
Apparel or Cloath many Kingdoms, if carefully 
Manured and Manufaftured. But Parkinfon fays 
concerning it, That he knows there is another 
Plant growing in Virginia , called Stlk-Grajs, 
which is much differing from this. 
IX. As to its Qualities, Specification , Prepara- 
tions and. Virtues , Authors have faid nothing, nor 
do we fay any thing concerning the fame. The 
Natives make Ropes and Cords of it, but nothing 
elfe, being much ftronger than either Hemp or 
Silk * but was it Manufactured as it might be, it 
would make Super- fine Cloarhing of all forts, much 
exceeding any thing made of Flax, Hemp, or Cot- 
ton, and poffibly not much inferior (if any thing at 
all) to what is made of the fineft and belt Silk. 
VINE WHITE, fee Bryony, Chap. 89. 
VINE WILD, fee Briony Black, Chap. 90. 
VIOLET TOOTHED, fee Corallworr,CA 152. 
VIPERS BUGLOSS, fee Buglofs Vipers, C/;. 95;, 
VIRGINS BOWER, fee Ladies Bower, Ch. 4201 
CHAP. DCCXXX. 
Of W AK E-R OBIN; 
Cncfyrv - Point. 
L'T pHE Names. It is called in Arabick Jd- 
-L rus and Sara, in Greek ’Afo* : and in Latine 
Arum : fome call it Pes Vituli , from the Form of 
its Leaf j and fome from the Figure of its Peftle, 
in the middle of the Hofe, call it S ace r dot is Penis , 
and Can is Priapus : fome call it Dracontea minor , 
and Serpentaria minor •, but we in Englifii call it 
IVake-Robin and Cuckow-Point, or Starch-Wort. 
II. The Kinds. There are many Species of if, 
but only two which arc frequent with us, viz*. 
1. Arum vulgar e non Maculatum, Our common 
Wake -Robin without Spots. 2. Arum vulgare 
Maculatum, Our Common Spotted Wake -Robin. 
Some will have Arifarum, or Friers-Cowle, to be 
a kind of Wake-Robin , and call it Hooded Wake- 
Robin, but of this wc have already treated in its 
proper place. 0 
The Defcriptions. 
III. The firfl, or Common Wake-Robin without 
Spots. Its Root is Tuberous, and about the big - 
nefs of a Walnut Green and all, if it grows in 
good Ground , is brown without , and. white within , 
very Succulent, with fome Fibrous additions to it. 
If chewed between the Teeth , it ha* a vehement 
Heat , and Burning fharpnefs with it, almofl be- 
yond expreffion, fo that if a bit of it, not fo big tu 
a fmall Bean, fhould be Chewed in the Mouth but 
for a Minute, it would fo inflame the Mouth, 
Tongue and Throat, that poffibly the Inflamation 
would fcarcely be allayed in 48 Hours -, and I 
have known fome who out of Wantonnefs, have 
Chewed it, who have ( by reafon of its Violence ) 
been in danger of their Lives , nor in more than a 
Weeks time could recover themfelves : And yet 
this is manifejt by daily Experience, that the dryed 
Root (tho 3 it may be as hot as Pepper) is void of all 
thefe Dangerous Accidents. Its Juice, or fine Pou- 
der, has a very flrange Clamminefs in it, ftijfening 
Linnen or any other thing on winch it is laid, no 
lefs than Starch ■, and in former days, when the 
7 T making 
