L i B. 3. Of the Hiltorie of Plants. 14 17 
for the difference is not onely in the colour of the berries. This differs from the former in forme 
and bio-nefle for it fends forth many ftalkes from the root, and thefe three, foure, or fine cubits 
jjjah thickc add diuided into fundry branches, couered for the moft part with a blatkilh barke : at. 
the beginning of the Spring from the buds at the Tides of the branches it fends forth lcaues alihd- 
r i e and hairy vnderneath, and greene aboue : from the midft of thefe, vpon little foot- ftalkes {land 
cluttering together many little floures, confifting of fuienvhite leau.es apiec? without fmell ; and 
then the feauesby little and little vnfold ti*ml(^ues/and caft off their do^nneffe, and become 
fnipt about the edges. The fruit that fticceeds the flouresfis round, blacke,fomewhat like , but 
bigger than a Haw, full of iuyce of a very fweet tafte ; vt herein lies ten or more iongifh fmooth 
blackifh feeds. Itgrowesvpon the Auftrianand Stitian Alps, where the'fruitis ripe in Auguft. 
C luf tui calls it Fit it idtt 5. Pena and Label, Amclancherfr Ce finer by diners names, as Myrtomalu t, Pc. 
tromelis,P\rui ceruinus,&c. f . t, , . , 
4 Carolm Clufius in his Pannonicke Obferuation| hath fet downe aipther of the W ortle ber- 
ries vnder the name of Fit it idtea, which differeth froth the other Wort lqf berries, not onely in (la- 
tum but in leaues and fruitalfo. $ The lcaues are long,narrovv,tharpe pointed, full of veines, a lit- 
tle hairy and lightly fnipt about the edges, greener ajpoue than below : the fruit growes from the 
tops of the branches of the former yeare, hanging vpdn long foot-ftalkes, and being asbig as lit- 
tle Cherries, firft greene, then red, and laftlyblacke, full ofiuyce,and that of no vnpleafant tafte, 
containing no kernels, but flat white (eeds commonly fine in number : the ftalkes are weake, and 
commonly lie vpon the ground : Clufiuu found it vpon the Auftrian mountaine Snealben,with the 
fruit partly ripe, and partly vnripe, in Auguft. It is his Fitulda.t 1. t' 
5 The fame Author alfofetteth forth another of theWortle berries, vnder the title of Vya 
Vrfi, which is likewifea (hrubby plant, hauing many feeble branches, whereon grow long leaues 
blunt at the points, and ofan ouerworn green colour : among which, at the tops of the ftalks come 
forth cinders of bottle-like floures of herby colour: the fruit foUotveth, growing likewife in 
cinders, greenat the firft, and blacke whekthey be ripe : the root is of a wooddy fubftance. t This 
is ahvaics greene, and the floures arc of a whttifh purple colour. 4 
n f This differs from the fecond, n/that the leaues are thinner, more full'df veines,and whiter 
vndern<“ath:tbe floure is like the common kind,whitifh purple, hollow, and diuided into fiue parts : 
the fruit alfo is blacke, and like that of the firft deferibed. This growes on diuers mountainous 
places of Germany, where Clufius obferued it, who made it his Vitis id&a 2 . t 
1 T he Place. 
Thefe plants profper beft in a lean barren foile,and in vntoiled wooddy places : they are now and 
then found onhigh hils fubiefttp the winde, and vpon mountaines : they grow plentifully in both 
the Germanies, Bohemia, and in diuers places of France aid England; namely in Middhpfex on 
Hampfted heath, and in thewoods theretoadioyning, and alfo vpon the hills in Cheshire called 
Broxcn hills, neere Beefton caftle.feuen miles from the Nantwich ; and in the wood by Higbgate 
called Finchlevwood,andindiuers other places. 
The red Wortle berry groweth in Weftm8dand at a place called Crosby Rauenfivaith, where 
alfo doth grow the Wortle with the white berry, and in Lancafhire alfo vpon Pendle hills. 
$ I haue feene none ofthefe but only the firft deferibed, growing vpon Hampfted heath. The 
white formerly mentioned in the third defcription,and hereagaine in the placements only a vane- 
rie of the fecond hauing white berries, as far as I can gather by our Author ; for it ts moft certaine, 
that it is not that which he figured, and I haue deferibed in the third place. $ 
The Time. 
The Wortle berries do floure in May,and their fruit is ripe in Iune. 
The Names. , 
Wortle berries is called in high-Dutch, i)epDe\beet:Ctt : in low-Dutch, Cra&CbeftftJ. becaufe 
they make a certaine crackewhileft they bebroken betvveene the teeth : of diners, i^auetbeftfn { 
the French men, < Airelle, or itrelle , as Johannes de Choul vvntethrand wc in England, VVorts, 
VVhortle berries, Blacke-berries, Bill-berries, and Bull-betries,and in fome places, Win-berries. 
Moft of the (hops of Germany do call them MyrtiHi, but properly CMyrtilh arc the fruit of the 
Myrtle tree, as the Apothecaries name them at this day. This planthathnonameforought wee 
can learne, either among the Greekesorantient Latines ; for whereas moft doe take it to be Fit is 
ld.ta. or the Corinth tree, which Pliny fyrnameth lexandrinaM is vntrue • for Fit is Idas is not on. 
Iy like to the common Vine, hut is alfo a kinde of Vine : and Theaphraflus,who hath made mention 
bereofdoth call it, without an Epetbete, •*?**■* (imply, as a little after we wil declare • which with- 
out doubt he would not haue done if he had found it to differ from the common Vine: For what 
things foeuer receiue a name of fome plant, the fame areexprefied with fome Epethit added to be 
known to differ from others ■ as luturw Aiexaudrim.Fitis alba, Fitts mgrt,Fitisfyhsefiru^sA fuch like. 
Moreouer, thofe things which haue borrowed a name from fome plant are like thereunto,if not 
wholly^ 
