Lib. i. 
\7 
Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
Gramen Leucambemum. The names. 
Stitchwort . „ , 
Some (as Ruellius for one) liaue thought this to be 
the plant which the Grecians call oxtsi#. : m Jjatine Tot a 
ojfca : in Englifh, All-Bones ; whereof I fee no reafon, 
except it be by the figure Antonomia ; as when we fay 
in Englifh, He is an honeft man, our meaning is that 
he is a knaueifor this is a tender herbe hauingno fuch 
bony fubftance. $ Dodon&us queftions , whether this 
plant be not Cratizogonon ; and he calls it Gramm Lett- 
unthemim , or White-floured Gralfe. The qualitie 
here noted with B . is by Diofcorides giuen to Crat.totro- 
non • but it is with his (that is) Some fay 
or report fo much : which phrafe of fpeech hee often 
vferli when as he writes faculties by heare-lay , and 
doubts hinifelfe of the truth of them . t 
The nature. 
The feed of Stitchwort, as Galen writeth, is fharpe 
and biting to him that taftc-th it ^ and to him that 
vfeth it very like to Mill. 
The venues. 
They are wont to drinke it in Wine with the pwo- \ 
der of Acornes, againft the paine in the fide, flitches 
and fuch like. * 
Diuers report, faith Diofcorides, That die Seed of B 
Stitchwort being drunke catifeth a woman to bring 
forth a man childe, if after the purgation ofher Sick- 
nefle, before fhe conceiue, fhe do drinke it faffing 
thrice in a day, halfe a dram at a time, in three ounces 
of water many dayes together. 
Chap. 39. Of Spiderwort. 
«|J The deferipion. 
1 f t '“'Heobfcuredefcriptionwhich Diofcorides and Pliny haue fet downe for Phalangium, 
hath bred much contention among late Writers. This plant Phalangium hath leaues 
much like Couch Gralfe, but they arc fomewhat thicker and/atter, and of a more 
ivhitifh greene colour. The ftalkes grow to the height of a cubit. The top of the ftalke is befet 
with fmall branches, garnifhedwith many little white flowers, compact of fix little leaues. The 
threds or thrums in the middle are whitilh, mixed with a faire yellow, which being fallen, there 
follow blacke feeds, incloled in fmall round knobs, which be three cornered. The roots are many, 
tough, and white of colour. 
2 Thefecondis like the firft, but that his ftalke is not branched as the firft, and floureth a 
moneth before the other. 
3 The third kinde of Spiderwort, which Carolus Clufius nameth Afphodelus minor, hath a root 
ofmany threddy firings, from the which immediately rife vp graffie leaues, narrow and fharpe 
pointed : among the which come forth diuers naked ftrait ftalkes diuided towards the top into 
fundry branches, garnifhed on euery fide with faire ftarre-like flowers, of colour white, with a 
purple veine diuiding each leafe in the micldeft : they haue alfocertaine chines or threds in them. 
The feed follovverb inclofed in three fquare heads like vnto the kindes of Afphodils. 
t 4 This Spiderwort hath a root confiding of many thicke, long, and white fibers., not 
much vnlike the precedent, out of which it fends forth fome fine or fix gveene and firme leaues, 
fomewhat hollowed in the middle, and mutually inuoluing each other at the root : amongft thefc 
there rifethvp a round greene ftalke, beating atthe top thereof fome nine or ten floures,more or 
lelfe- thefc confift of fix leaues apiece, of colour white(the three innermoft leaues are the broader, 
and more curled, and the three outmoft are tipt w ith greene at the tops .) The whole flonre much 
