8io 
Of the Hiftory of Plants. 
IB. 2. 
q[ The Defcription. 
t /'‘"'Lot Burre bringeth forth broad Ieaues and hairie/ar bigger than the leaues of Gourds 
and ofgreater coinpafle. thicker alfo, and blacker, which on the vpper fide are of a 
darkegreene colour, and on the nether fide fomewhat white: the ftalke is cornered 
thicke,befet with like leaues,but far lelTe,diuided into very many wings and branches, bringing 
forth great Burres round like bullets or balls, which are rough all oner, and full of fharpe’erookin 
prickles, taking hold on mens garments as they paffeby ; out of the tops whereof groweth 
floure thrummed, or all of threds, of colour purple : the feed is perfeaed within the round ball or 
bullet, and this feed when the burres open, and the winde-blovveth,iscaried away with thewinde : 
the root is long, white within, and blacke without. 
1 There is another kinde hereof which hath leffer and fofter heads, with weaker prickles . 
thefe heads are alfo hairy or downy, and the leaues and whole plant fomewhat leffe, yet orherwi fe 
like the fore deferibed ; Lobell calls this t^frehtm montanum , and Lappa minor Galem .■ it is alfo the 
Lappa miner altera of Matthiolus. Lobell found this growing in Somerfetlhire three miles from Bath 
neere the houfe of one M r . Iohn Colt. 
2 The leffer Burrc hath leaues farre fmaller than the former, of a grayifh ouerworne colour 
like to thofe of Orach , nicked round about the edges : the ftalke is a foot and a halfe hfoh, full of 
little blacke fpots,diuiding it felfeintomany branches .- the floures before the Burres come forth 
do compaffe the finall ftalkes round about ; they are but little, and quickly vade away : then follow 
the Burres or the fruit out of the bofome of the leaues, in forme long, on the tops of the branches 
as big as an Oliue or a Cornell berry, rough like the balles of the Plane tree, and being touched’ 
dearie faft vnto mens garments : they do not open at all, but being kept clofe fhut bring forth Iona 
feeds. The root is fattened with very many ftrings,and groweth notdeepe. 
^ The Place. 
The firft groweth euery where: the fecond. I found in the high way leading from Draitonto 
Iuer,two miles from Colbrooke,fince which time I hauc found it in the high way betweene 
Stanesand Egbam. t It alfogrowerh plentifully in Souchwickfheet in Hampfhire,as I bane 
been enformed by M‘. Goodyer. 
«T The Time. 
Their feafon is in Iuly and Auguft. * 
5J The Names. 
The great Burre is called in Greeke «•««<■ ■■ in Latine, Perfonata.pcrfonatia, and Arcium : in fhops, 
Sardaua, and Lappa maior in high Dutch, ©JOfgftleften 5 in low Dutch, (BjOOtC Cltffetnin french’ 
Glouteron - in Enghfh, Great Burre, Burre Docke,or Clot Burre : ^Apuldus befides thefe doth alio’ 
let downe certaine other names belonging to Clot Burre, as T>ardana,Pacchion;Elephanu>ris,Nepheli. 
on^ Mam folium. \. Jr 
The leffer Burre Docke is called of the Grecians s*s»>-in Latine, Xanthmm in fhops Lappa 
minor, Lappa wuerfa, and ofdiuers, Strumaria : Galen faith it is alfo called, Phafeamon, and Phafranon 
or herbe victory, being but baftatd names, and therefore not properly fo called : in Englifh, Loufe 
Burre, Ditch Burre, and leffer Burre Dockc : it feemeth to be called Xamhium of thee fie ft, for the 
Burre or fruite before it be fully withered,being damped and put into an earthen veftl-ll, and after- 
wards when need requireth the weight of two ounces thereof and fomewhat more being fteeped 
in warme water and rubbed on,maketh the haires of the head red ; yet the head is firft tobe drefled 
or rubbed with niter 5 as Diofcoridcs writeth, 
7 he Temperature. 
The leaues of Clot Burrc are of temperature moderately dry and wafting • the root is fome. 
thing hot. , 
The feed of die leffer Burre, as Galen faith, hath power to digeft, therefore it is hot and dry. 
The Tenues. 
The roots being takenwith the kernels of Pine Apples, as Diofcorides witneffeth, are good for 
them that fpit blond and corrupt matter. D 
Apeleius faith that the fame being damped with a little fait, and applied to the biting of a mad 
dog,cureth the fame, and fo fpeedily fetteth free the ficke man. 
He alfoteacheth that the juice of the leaues giuen to drinkewith hony,procureth vrine, and ta- 
keth away the paines of the bladder:, and that the fame drunke with old winedoth wonderfully 
nelpe againft the bilings of ferpents. 
Columella declareth.that the herbe beaten with fait and laid vpon the fcarifying which is made 
with the launcet or raf er,draweth out the poifon of the viper : and that alfo the root being ftam- 
pedis more auailcable againft ferpents, and that the root in like maneris good againft the Kings 
euill. 
The 
bn 
