^ ^ 
L i b. j. Of the Hiftory of Plants. 
K 43 
Chap. 15?. Of Yucca orfucca . 
The Defcriptiorii 
THHe Plant of whofe root the Indian bread 
called Cazaua is made, is a low herbe 
confiding onely of leaues and roots: it hath 
neither ftalke, floures, nor fruit, that I can vn- 
derftand of others, or by experience of the 
plant it felfc, which hath growne in my gar- 
den foure yeares together, and yet doth grow 
and profper exceedingly ; neuertheleffe with- 
out ftalke, fruit, or floures, as aforefaid.lt hath 
a very great root, thicke and tuberous, and ve- 
rie knobby, full of iuice fomewhat Iweet in 
tafte,butof a pernicious qua!itie,as faith my 
Author: from which root rifeth vp immedi- 
ately forth of the ground very many leaues 
ioynedvnto the head of the root in a round 
circle ; the which are long, of the length of a 
cubit, hollowed likea gutter or trough, verie 
fmooth,and of a greene colour, like that of 
Woade:the edges of the leaues are fharpe 
like the edge of a knife, and of a browne co- 
lour : the point of theleafe is a prick as ("harp 
as a needle, which hurteth thole that vnadui- 
fedly pafleby it ; the leafe with aduifed eye 
viewed is like vnto a little wherf y,or filch like 
boat : they are alfo very tough, hard to break, 
and not eafie to cut, except the knife be very 
fharpe. 
t Lobel in the fecond part of his Aduerfa- 
ria largely deferibes and figures this plant f 
and there hee affirmes hee wrot a defeription 
(the which he there fetsdovvne) for our Au- 
thor ; but he did not follow it, and therefore committed thefe errours : Fir ft, in that hee faith it is 
the root whereof Cazaua bread was made ; when as Lobel in his defeription faid he thought it to be 
Alta /pecks a Yucca India ex qua pan is communis ft. Secondly,inrhathe fet downe the place out of 
the Hiftoria Lug, d. (whotookeitoutofTfoaer) endeauouring by that rheanes to confound it with 
that there mentioned , when as he had his from M r . Edwards his man. And thirdly, (for which in- 
deed he was moll blame- worthy, and wherein hemoft fhewed his weakenelfe) for that hee doth 
confound it with xhtManihot or true Tuicca, which all affirme to hauealeafe like that ofbemp,par- 
ted into leuen or more diuifions : and alfo in that he puts it to the Arachldna of T heophrajhts , when 
as he denies it both flotire and fruit j yet within fome few yeares after our Author had let forth 
this Worke it floured in his garden. 
This fome yeares puts forth a pretty ftiffe round ftalke fome three cubits high.diuided intodi- 
Uers vnequall branches carrying many pretty large floures, fhaped fomewhat like thofe of Fritil- 
tirria, but that they are narrower at their bottomes : the leaues of the floure are fix : the colour on 
the infide wh ite, but on the out fideof an ouervvorne reddifh colour from the ftalke to the middelt 
of theleafe, ; fo that it is a floure of no great beautie, yet to beefteemed for the raritie.- 1 faw it 
once floure in the garden of M r . Wtlmot at Bow,but neuer fince, though it hath been kept for many 
yeares in fundryorher gardens, as with M'.iWvn/owand M‘. Tuggy. This was firft written of by 
our Author; and fince by Lobel ax\A M r . Parkinfi^who keepe the fame name, as alfo Baahine^fio to 
diftinguifh it from the other calls it Lucca filijs <^Aloes. f 
. f The Place. 
This plant groweth in all the tradf of the Indies, from the Magellane ftraights vnto the cape of 
Florida, and in moft of the Illands of the Canibals,and others adioyning, from whence I had that 
plant brought me that groweth in my garden, by aferuantofa learned and skilfull Apothecary of 
Excelfer, named W.T ho. Edwards. ‘ 
«[ Thi 
Tucca,Jiue Caeca Peruana. 
The root whereof the bread Cafaua 
or Cazaua is made. 
O ooooo z 
