Li b. 2 
115 6 Of the Hiftorie of Plants. 
thereof a fmall knop or boll, fuch as is in the middle of our wild Poppy, but full of lharpe thorns 
and at the end thereof a ftaine or fpotofadeepe purple : after the yellow floures be fallen, this 5 
forefaid knop groweth by degrees greater and greater, vntill it come to full maturitie, which ope- 
neth it felfe at the vpper end,{hewing his feed, which is very blacke and round like the feeds of mu- 
ftard. The whole plant and each part thereof doth yeeld verie great aboundance of milkie iuyee, 
which is of a golden colour, falling and tffuing from any part thereof, if it be cut or bruifed : the" 
whole plant penfhethat the approch of Winter. The vertues hereof are yet vnknownevntome 
wherefore I purpofe not to fet downe any thing thereof by way of coniefture, but {hall, God will 
ling, be ready to declare that which certaine knowledge and experience either of mync owne or 
others, Thai! make manifeft vnto me. 
The Place. 
The golden Thiftle is fowne in gardens ofthe Low-Countries. Petrus Bellonitu writes, That it 
groweth plentifully in Candy, and alfo in mod places of Italy : flufius reporteth that he found it 
in the fields of Spaine, and of the kingdome of Caftile,and about Montpelier , with fewer bran- 
ches, and of a higher growth. 
The Indian Thiftle groweth in Saint Iohns Ifland in the Weft Indies, and profpereth very well 
in my garden. 
The Time. 
They floure from Iunetotheendof Atiguft .-the feed of the Indian golden Thiftle muft be 
.fowne when it is ripe, but it doth not grow vpvntill May next after. 
•If The Tdjmes. 
This Thiftle is called in Latine Cardirn Chryjanthemus : in Greeke of Theophrajlus , iuv ; for 
thofe things which he writeth of Scolymus in his fixtb and feuenth bookes doe wholly agree with 
this Thiftle chryfantbemus : which are thefe ; Scolymus, doth floure in the Sommer folftice,brauely 
and a long time together; it hath a root that may be eaten both fodand raw,and when it is broken 
ityeeldeth a milky iuyee : Gaft nameth it Cardans. Of this Pliny alfo makes mention, iW. 21. ca.16. 
• Scolymus ,faith he, differs from thofe kindes of Thirties,' vi\. AcamapccA cAtraclilis , becaufe the root 
thereofmay be eaten boyled. Againe, L'^.2 -.Cap.i 2. TheEaft Countries vfe it as a meate .-and 
hecalleth it by another name Which thing alfo T hcophrafius feemeth to affirme,in his fixe 
booke ; for when he reckoneth vp herbes whole ieaues are fet with prickles, he addeth Scolymus, or 
Limonia. 
Notwithftanding,P//>y maketh mention likewifeofanother^w/ywKt, which hee affirmeth to 
bring forth a purple floure, and betweene the middle ofthe prickes to wax white quickely, and to 
fall off with the vvinde ; in his twentieth booke, cap. 2 ; . Which Thiftle doubtleffe doth not agree 
with Car duus Chryfantbemus, that is, with Theophrajlus his Scolymus, and with that which we mentio- 
ned before : fo that there be in Pliny two Scolymi ; one with a root that may be eaten , and another 
with a purple floure, turning into downe, and that fpeedily waxeth white. Scolymus is likewife de- 
scribed by Viofcorides ; but this differs from Scolymus T heophrafii, and it is one of thofe which Pliny 
reckoneth vp, as we wil more at large declare hereafter. But let vs come againe to Chryfantbemus - 
This the inhabitants of Candy, keeping the marks ofthe old name, do call Afcolymhros : the Itali- , 
ans name it Anconitani Kind : the Romans, Spina horda : the Spaniards, Cordon lec bar : and ofdiuers 
it is alfo named Glycyrrhtyn, that is to fay, dulcis Radix, or fvveet Root : it is called in Englifb, gol- 
den Thiftle : fome would haue it tobe that which Vegctius in Arte Veterinaria calls Eryngium • but 
they a re deceiued ; for that Eryngium whereof Vcgetius writeth is Eryngium marinumfit fea Huluer 
ofwhich wewill intreat. 
The golden Thiftle of India may be called Cardans Chryfantbemus, of his golden colour, adding 
thereto his natiue countrey Indianus, or Peruamis, or the golden Indian Thiftle,or the golden Thu 
ftle of Peru : the feed came to my hands by the name Eique del Inferno : in Latine, Ficus inferndis 
the infernall fig, or fig of hell. 
The T emperature and Vertues. 
A The root and tenderleaues of this Scolymus, which are fometimes eaten, are good For the fto- 
macke,butthey containevery little nourifhment, and the fame thinne and waterie,as Gdentts.- 
cheth. 
B Pliny faith, that the root hereofwas commended by Eratojlhenes , in the poore mans fupper, and 
that it is reported alfo to prouoke vrine efpecially; to heale tetters and dry feurfe, being taken 
with vineger ; and with Wine toftir vp flefhly luft,as,£/e/Wand A/cxus teftifie ; and to takeaway 
the ftench ofthe arme-ho!es,if an ounce of the root, the pith picked out, be bovled in three parts of 
wine, till onepartbewafted,nndagood draught taken falling after a bath, and likewife after meat: 
which 
