Lib. 2. 
Of the Hiftorie of Piants. 
%99 
the Sauages call Wi finch .- there rileth vp from a fingle crooked root one vpright ftalkea foot 
high, (lender, and of a greenifh colour : whereupon do grow faire broad Ieaues lharpe pointed with 
many ribs ornerues running through the fame like thofeofRibwort or Plantaine, fet together by 
couples at certaine diftances. The floures come forth at the top of the ftalks, which as yat are not 
obferued, by reafon the man that brought the feeds and plants hereof did not regard them. After 
which, there come in place two cods (feldome more) fharpe pointed like thofe of our SwalJow- 
rvortjbut greater, (luffed full of a moft pure hike of a Alining white colour. -among which (like 
appeareth a fmall long tongue (which is the feed ) refembling the tongue of a bird , or that of the 
lierbe called Adders tongue. The cods are not only full of hike, Duteuerie n-erue or finew where- 
with the Ieaues be ribbed are likewife moft pure fi Ike - and alfo the pilling of the femmes euen as 
(lax is torne from his ftalks. This confidered, behold the iuftice of God that as he hath ’(hut vn 
thofe people and nations in infidelity and nakedneffe , fohath he not as yetgiuen themvftderftan- 
ding tocouer their nakedneffe, nor matter wherewith to doe the fame ; notwith (landing the earth 
iscouered ouerwith this (like, which dayly they tread vnder their feet, which were fufficient toap- 
parell many kingdomes, if they were carefullly manured and cherifhed. 
JVifanck, fine Fincdoxicum Indiannm. 
Indian Swallow-wort. 
t dpocymm SfiACnm Cluftj . 
$ This Plant, which is kept in fome gardens by the name of Virginia Silke Graffe, I take to' 
be the fame, or very like the Beidelfar of Alpinus , and the pocynum Syriacttm of Clufitu at Padua 
they call it Efulei Indict, by reafon of the hot milky iuyee. Bauhinus hath very vnfitly named it La- 
pit hum ^Egyptiacum Lcfefcens filiqita i^Afdepiadis. But he is to be pardoned ; for Ioharmes Carolus Ro- 
inbergus, c ap. 1 6. p. ^6- of his Animad. & Exerc. Mtdicx^ox Rofanobths tatrica, hath taken vpon him 
the credit and inuentionof this abfurd denomination : I may call it abfurd, for that neither any 
way in fhape or qualitie it refembles or participates any thing with a Docke. I haue giuen you 
the figure of our Author with his title, and that of Clufius with his : in the former the cods are only 
well expreft ; in the later the Ieaues and floures reafonably well, but that they are too few in num- 
ber, and fet too far afunder. Vpon the fight of the growing and flouring plant I tooke this deferip- 
tion : The root is long and creeping ; the ftalkes two or three cubits high,fquare, hollow, a finger 
thicke,and ofa light greenc colour, fending out towards the top forae few branches .- vpon this at 
certaine 
