1^66 Of the Hiftory of Plants.- Lib. 5. 
ofa ftronger fmell,and in tafte bitterer and hotter : but the later is thought not to be the Rofine of 
the Larch, but of the Fir-tree, which Galen becaufe it is after a fort like in fubftance, might haue ta, 
ken for that of the Larch tree. 
There groweth alfo vpon the Larch tree a kinde of Mufhrum or excrefcence,not fuch as is vpon 
other trees, but whiter, fofter, more loofeand fpungiethan any other of the Mufhrurns,and good 
for medicine,which beareth the name of ^s4garicus,ot Agaricke : I find that Pliny fuppofeth all the 
Mafticke trees,and thofe that beare Galls, dobring forth this ^j-arirww.-w'hereinhewas fomewhat 
dcceiued,and efpecially in that he took Glandifera for Conifer a ,that is, thofe trees which beare mad: 
or A comes, for the Pine apple trees : but among all the trees that beare Agaricus, the Larch is the 
chiefe,and bringeth mod plenty of Agarick. 
«]' T be Place. 
The Larch tree groweth not in Greece,ot inMacedon,but chiefely vpon the Alpes of Italy, not 
far front Trent, hard by the iiuecs Benacui and Padus ^ and alfoinotherplacesofthefame mourt- 
taines : it is likewife found on hils in Morauia, which in times pad was called the countrey of the 
Marcomans : Tartar writeth, that it groweth alfo in SiIefia:others,in Lufatia, in the borders of 
Poland : it alfo groweth plentifully in the woods of Gallia Ceftlpina. 
Plift ) 1 hath faid fomewhat hereoRcontraditting the writings of others, inhis i<?book,8 chaprer, 
where he faith, that fpectall y the Acorne trees of France do beare Agaricke, and not only the acorn 
trees, but the Cone trees alfo ; among which, faith he, the Larch tree is thechiefe thatbringeth forth 
Agaricke, and that not onely in Galliapvhichnow is called France , but rather in Lumbardy and 
Piemont in Italy,wheretherebe whole woods of Larch trees,although they be found in fomefmal 
quantitie in other countries. 
The bed Agarick is that which is whited, very loofe and fpungie, which may eafily be broken,' 
and is light, and in the did tade fweet, hard, and well compaft : thatwhich is heauy, blackifh,and 
containing in it little threds as it were of finewes, is counted pernicious and deadly. 
«[] The Time. 
Ofall the Cone trees onely the Larch tree is found to be without leaues in the Winter: in the 
Spring grow frefh leaues out ofthe fame knobs, from which the formerdid fall. Theconesare to 
be gathered before winter, fo loone as the leaues are gone.-but after the feales are loofed and ope- 
ned, the feeds drop away : the Rofine mud be gathered in the Sommer moneths. 
The Names. 
This treeis called in Greekej*K - in Latir.ealfoiarA, in Italianand Spanifh, Larice inbigh 
Dutch, ftttcljenbaum : in low Dutch Xoihcnboom : in French, tJMclefe : in Englifh, Larch tree, and 
of Lome Larix tree. 
The liquid Rofin is named by Galen alfo ■■ the Latines call it Refina Larigna, or Reftna Laricea s 
Larch Rofin : the Italians ,Larga : the Apothecaries,Tfretof^/»a,or T urpentine,and itis fold and al- 
fo mixed in medicines in dead thereof: neither is that a thing newly done; for Galen likewife in his 
time reporteth, that the Druggers fold the Larch Rofine in dead of Turpentine : and this may bee 
done without errour; for Galen himfelfe in one place vfeth Larch Rofin for Turpent inland in ano- 
ther, Turpentine for Larch Rofine, in his bookeof medicines according to thekindes. 
The Agaricke is alfo called in Greeke -•<»«*' and «»<»< • in Latinie, Agaricnmand Agarictu , and fo 
likewife in drops : the Italians, Spaniards, and other nations do imitate the Greeke word,- and in 
Englifh we call it Agaricke. 
The Temperature and Rertucs. 
A The leaues, barke, fruit and kernell,are of temperature like vnto the Pine, but not fo drong. 
B The Larch Rofin is ofa moider temperature than all the red of the Rofines,and is withall with- 
out fharpnefie or biting, muchlike to the right Turpentine, and is fitly mixed with medicines 
which perfedUy curevlcers and greene wounds. 
C All Rofins, laitb Galen, that haue this kinde of moidure and clammineffe ioined with them, do as 
it were binde together and vnitedry medicines, and becaufe they haue no euident biting qualitie, 
they doe moiden the vlcers nothing at all : therefore diners haue very well mixed with fuch 
compound medicines either Turpentine Rofin, or Larch Rofimthus far CaAw.Moreouer, Larch Ro- 
fin performeth all fuch things that the Turpentine Rofin doth, vnto which, as we haue faid, it is 
much like in temperature, which thing likewife Galen himfelfe affirmeth. 
D A garicke is hot in the fird degree and dry in the fecond, according to the old writers.lt cutteth, 
maketh thin,clcnfeth,taketh away obdriudions or doppings of the intrailes, and purgeth al fo by 
doole. 
£ Agaricke curetli the yellow jaundice proceeding of obdruA:ions,and is a fureremedie for cold 
fhakings, which are caufed ofthickeand cold humors. 
jp The fame being inwardly taken and outwardly applied, is good for thofe that are bit of veno- 
mous beads which hurt with their cold poifon. 
It 
