Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
Li b, i . 
S72. 
ThcVertues. 
^ Hiefcorides faith, that the roots do purge waterifh humours, andaregood for fuchashaue the 
dcoplie: if they be boiled in wine,adding vnco the wine a little fea water and bee drunke in three 
ounces affaire frelh water : he faith furthermore,that the fruit or berries doth takeaway the Sun- 
burneand other blemifhes of the skin. 
B The berries do not onely clenfe and remoucfuch kindc of fpots,but do alfo very quickly wafte 
and confume away blacke and blew marks that come of bruiles and drie beatings, which thing al- 
fo the roots performe being laid vpon them. 
C The young and tender fproutings are kept in pickle, and referued to be eatenwithmeatas P ' 
ctricCcs teacheth.M uttbiolus writeth that they are ferued at mens tables alfo in our age in Tufcar. e , 
others report the like alfo to be done in Andalofia.one ofthekingdomesof Granado. 
D It is faid thar fwine feeke after the roots hereof, which they dig vp and eat with no leffe delight 
than they do the roots oiCyclaminusfit Pattis for anus ^ whereupon it was called Cyclammus alters. 
Sow-bread ^ if this reafon ftand for good, then may we in like manner ioine hereunto many o 
roots, and likewifecall them Cyclamimis altera fit Sow-bread : for fwine do not feeke after the root j 
ofthis onely, digge them vp and greedily dcuoure them, but the roots of diuers other planrs alfo, 
of which none are of the kindes of Sowbread. 1 1 would therefore be a point of rafhnefte to affirSi 
Tamm or our Ladies-feale to be a k inde of Sowbread, becaufe the roots thereof are pleafant meat 
to fwine. ' 
E Theroot fpred vpon a piece of fheepes leather, in mannerofaplaifterwhileftitisyetfrefband 
green,taketh away blacke or blew marks, all (cars and deformitie of the skin, breaketh hard apo- 
ftems,draweth forth fplinters and broken bones,djflblueth congealed blond ; and being laid on and 
vied vpon the hip or huckle bones, fhoulders,armes, or any other part where there is great pain and 
ache, it taketh it away in fhort fpace,and worketh very effectually. 
t The figure that was formerly in the fecond place of this chapter did no waies a°ree with, the di(cription,for it was of thf VitrnatOT Trauellors ioy ( hereafter 
*0 be mentioned; which Tibtttitmontamr, (whofc figures our Author made vfc of ) calls Vitii fecimda . 
Chap. 311. Of ‘Bryonie of eSAfexico. 
The Dcfiriftian, 
1 f I "'Hat plant wh ich is now called Mechoacanfit Bryonie of Mexico, commeth verie neere 
J the kinds ofBindweeds,in leaues and trailing branches, but in roots like the Brionies; 
for there fhooteth from the root thereof many long (lender tendrels, which doinfinjt- 
Iy grafpe andclafpe about fuch things as grow or Hand next vnto them : whereupon grow great 
broad leaues (Tiarpc pointed, of a darke greene colour, in fhape like thofe of our Ladies-ieale,lbm- 
vvhac rough and hairie,anda little biting the tongue : among the leaues come forth the fioures (as j 
Nicolaus CMonardm writeth) not vnlike thofe of the Orenge tree, but rather of the golden Apple of 
lone, confiding of hue fmall leaues ; out of the middeft whereof commeth forth a little clapper or 
peftell in manner of a round lumpe,asbigasaHafellnur ; whichbeingdiuidedwithathin skin, or 
membrane, that commeth through it, openeth into two parts, in each whereof are contained two t 
feeds, as bigge as Peafe, in colour blacke and lTiining. Theroot is thicke and long, verie like vnto 
the root of white Bryonie, whereof we ma\ e this a kindc, although in the rafte of the roots there is 
fome difference : fottherootof white Bryonie hath a bitter tafte,and this hath little or no tafteac 
aSl. 
2 The Bryony, or Mcchoscano^Vcttt growethvpvvith many long trailing flexible branches, in- 
terlaced with diuers Yinie tendrels, which take hold of fuch things as are next or neerevnto them, 
euen in fuch manner ofclafping and climingas doth the blacke Bryonie, or wine Vine, whereunto 
it is very likcalmoft in each refpedt,fauing that his raoffie floures do fmell very fweetly . The fruit 
as yet I haue not ob ferued, by reafon that the plant which doth grow in my garden did not perfect 
the fame, by occafion of the great rain and intemperate weather that hapned in An. 1 5? 6 . but I am 
ingoodhopetofeeitinhisperfeAion,&thcnwefhallea(ily judge whether it be that right Mo- 
choacan that hath been brought from Mexico and other places of the Weft Indies or no ? Theroot 
by the figure fhould feeme to anfwer that of the wilde Vine, but as yet thereof I cannot write cer- 
tainly. 
$ 3 There is brought to vs and intovfe of late time the root of another plant, which feemes 
