8oo Of the Hiftorie of Plants. Lib; i. 
t I isinchufn Alcibutdion, 
Red Alkanet. 
f 2 Anchtipi lutea. 
Yellow Alkanet. 
i 3 Anchufa minor. 
Small Alkanet. 
plants were called i^Anchufaoi that flour idling and 
bright red colour which is in the root, euen as red as 
pure and cleere bloud: for that is the onely marke or 
note whereby todiftinguifh thefe herbes fromthofe 
which be called Echum,Lycoj/Jis ,and Bugloffa , whereto 
they haue a great refemblance: I haue therefore ex- 
prdfed foure differences of this plant Anchufa or Al- 
kanet from the other kindes,by the leaues,floures,and 
bigneffe. 
1 The firft kinde of Alkanet hath many leaues 
like Echium, or fmall Bugloffe, couered oner with a 
prickie hoarineffe, hailing commonly butone ftalke, 
which is round,rough ,ana a cubite high. The cups of 
the floures are ofa skie colour tending to purple, not 
vnlike the floures of Echium$ the feed is fmall, fome- 
what long, and ofa pale colour : the root is a finger 
thicke, the pith or inner part thereof is of avvooddie 
fubftance, dying the hands or whatfoeuer toucheth 
the fame, of a bloudie colour, or of the colour of faun- 
ders. 
2 The fecond kinde of c. Anchufa or Alkanet is 
of greater beautie and eftimation than the firft ■ 
the branches are lefTe and more bufhie in . the toppe: 
it hath alfo greater plentie of leaues, and thofe more 
woollie or hairie : the ftalke groweth to the height of 
two cubites : at the top grow floures of a yellow co- 
lour, far different from the otherithe root is more fhi- 
ning,of an excellent delicate pu'rplifh colour, afid 
more full of iuice than the firft, 
3 There 
