m 
Wm 
Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
Lie. i. 
M j'igi 
* c 
hap . 25 . Of ftal'm Trafi, or Spanijh Galingale* 
I Cypcrus Efculcntiis fine Caule & flore. 
Italian Trail, or Spanifh Galingall, 
without ftalke and flourc. 
2 Cypcrus Efculentusfiuc T rtifi It alarum, 
Italian Trail, or Spanifh Galingall. 
$ 1 r T"'Hc Italian Trafi, which is here termed Spaniih Galingale, is a plant that hath 
[ many finall roots, hanging at ftringy fibers like as our ordinary Dropwort 
roots do, but they are of the bignefle of a little Medlar, and haueone end flat 
and as it were crowned like as a Medlar, and it hath alfo fundry ftreakes or lines, feeming to di- 
uide it intofetieral parts •. it is of a brownifh colour without, and white within ; the tafte there- 
of is fweet almoft like a Chefnut. The Ic-aues are very like thofe of the garden Cypcrus ,- 3 . nd netier 
exceed a cubit in length. Stalkes, flowers, or feed it hath none, as Iohn Pona an Apothecary of 
Verona, who diligently obferued it nigh to that city whereas it naturally growes,affirmes ; btit 
he faith there growes with it much wild Cypcrus, which as he judges hath giuen occalion of their 
error who giue it the ftalkesand flowers otCyperuspn Englifli Galingale, as jVatti/fl/ar and others 
haue done. It is encreafed by fetting theroots firft fteeped in water, at the beginningof Nouem- 
ber. I haue here giuen you the figure of it without the ftalke, according to Pona, and with the 
ftalke, according to Matthiolus and others. 
*f The names. 
The Italian Trafi is called in Grcekeby TheopkraflMMAn,$o»*, Hijl. plant. 4. cup. 10. as Paints 
Column 4 hath proued at large : Pliny termes it Anthalium : the later writers Cypcrus Efculcntus , and 
Dulcicbinum ■ The Italians, Trafi, and Dotylini, by which names in Italy they are cryed vp and 
downe the ftreets,as Oranges and Lemmons are here. 
The temper and venues. 
The milke orcreamcof thefe Bulbous rootes being drunke,mundifies thebreftand lungs,' 
wherefore it is very good for filch as are troubled witlycoughs. Now you muft beat thefe roots, 
and macerate them in broth, and then prefle out the crcame through a linnen cloath , which by 
fome late Writers is commended alfo to be vfed in venercous potions. 
The fame creamc is alfo good to be drunke againft the heate and fharpnefle of the vrine,efpe- 
cially if you in making it do addc thereto the feeds of Pompions, Gourds, and Cucumbers.The 
Citifens of Verona cate them for dainties, but they are fomewhat windy. % 
Chap, 
. ' .V- v, \ , \ 
