i— * b= 3. Of the Hjftory of Plants. 1403 
Apothecaries of our countrey name it Mtztreon, but we had rather cal! itchameUa Germanic*.: In 
Englifh, Dutch Mezereon, or it may be called Germane Oliue Spurge. We feaue heard thatdi- 
uers Italians do name the fruit thereof Piper Af0»f.j»»?»,Mountame Pepper. Some fay that LaareoU 
or Spurge Laurell is this plant, but there is another Laiircola, of which vve will hereafter treat : but 
by what name it is called of the old writers, and whether they knew it or no, it is hard to tell. It is 
thought to be Cneoron album Theophrafti^mt by reafon of his bretiitie,we can affirme no certainty. 
There is, faithhe.twokindesof Cneoron, the white and the blacke, thewbitebath a leafe, long, 
like in forme to Spurge Oliue: the black is ful offubftance like Mirtle ; the low one is more white' 
the fame iswithfmell,and theblacke without fmcll. The root ofboth which gtoweth deepe, is' 
great : the branches be many,thicke,wooddie,immediatIy growing out of the earth, or little aboue 
the earth, tough : wherefore they vfe thefe tobinde with, as with Oziars.They bud and floure when 
the Autumne Equino&ial I is part, and a long time after. Thus much Theophraftvs. 
The Germane Spurge Oliue is not much vnlike to the Oliue tree in leafe .-the floure is fvveet of 
fmell : the buds whereof,as we haue written, come forth after Autumne: the branches arewooddy 
and pliable : the root long.grovving deepe : all which (hew thac it hath great likenefleand affinity 
with Cneoron jilt be not the very fame. 
ft The Temperature. 
This plant is likewifein all parts extreme hot: the fruit, the Ieaues,and therindeare very fharpe 
and biting : they bite the tongue, and fet the throte on fire. 
The Vertucs. 
The leaues of Mezereon do purge downeward,flegme,cholef, and vvarerifh humours with great A 
violence. 
Alfoifadrunkarddoeatonegraineorberryofthisplant,heecannocbeal!ured to drinke any B 
drinkeat that time ; fuch will be the heat of his mouth and choking in the throat. 
This plant is very dangerous to be taken into the body, & in naturelike to the Sea Tithymale C 
leauingfifit be chewed) fuch an heat and burning in the throat, that it is hard to be quenched. 
The (hops of Germany and of the Low-countries dowhen need require vfe the leaues hereof D 
in ftead of Spurge Oliue, which may be done without errour ; for this Germane Spurge Oliue is 
like in venue and operation to the other, therefore it may be vfed in ftead thcrof, and prepared after 
the like and felfe-fame manner. 
Of Spurge FLx. 
The Defcription. 
S Purge Flax bringeth forth many (lender 
branched fprigs aboue a cubite high, coue- 
■ red roundwith long and narrow leaues like 
thofe of flax, narrower & Idler than the leaues 
of Spurge Oliue. The floures are white, fmall, 
(landing on the vpper parts of the fprigs : the 
fruit is round, greene at the firft, but red when 
it is ripe,like almoft to the round berries of the 
Hawthorne, in w hich is a white kernel couered 
with a blacke skin ne, very hot and burning the 
mouth like Mezereon : the root is hard and 
wooddie. 
The Place. 
It groweth in rough mountains, and in vn- 
toiled places in hot regions. It groweth in my 
garden. 51 The Time. 
It is greene at any time of the yeare,but the' 
fruit is perfected in Autumne. 
The Names. 
The Grecians call ira^uWtbe Syrians, as 
Diofiorides witnefleth ,Apolinon : diners alfb 
ChameUa, but not properly i but as Dio/cortdes 
faith, the leafe is properly called Cneoron^. the ’ 
fruit Coccos Cnidios ■ notwithftanding tbofe 
which Theophr ajlitc C&Wkxh Cneorti feem to flif. 
fer fro m ThjmeUa, or Spurge Flax, vnlefle Ni- 
grum Cneoron bzThymtUaiox Theophrafius f a i t fj 
that 
HAP 
• ^4 
1 Thymehea. 
Spurge Flax, or mountaine Widow waile. 
