the Hiftory of Plants. 
1 599 
HAP. 
7 . 0/~ the fenfitiue Herb e. 
Hcrbamimofe. 
The fenfitiue berfae. 
IT The Defiription. 
Hitts exabiior icon. 
A perfect figure thereof. 
T His which Ihere the fenfitiue herbe, is 
thac w 'lnch Chriftophcr a Cojta fets forth 
by the name of Herb a. mimofa, or the Mocking 
herbe, bepaufe when one puts his hand thereto it 
forthwith feemes to wither and hang downe the 
leaues; but when you take it away againe it re- 
couers the priftine greeneffe and vigor. I vvil here 
giue you thatwhich Acojlamites thereof, &the 
figure & hiftone which Clufius giues m his notes 
vpon him; and alfo another figure better expref- 
fing the leaues and manner of growing. There is 
found (faith Acofld) in Co me Gardens another 
plant fome fiue handfuls long, refting vpon the 
neighbouring flirubs or walls, hauing a (lender 
ftalke ofa frefh greene colour, not very round, 
fetat certaine fpaces with fmall and pricking 
thornes : the leaues are not vnlike the former^ 
[That is, the Herbaviua, which in condition is 
little different from thisjbeing lomewhat Idler 
than thole of the female Feme. It loucs to grow 
in moift and flony places, and is called Her bn mi- 
rnofifot the reafon formerly giuen. The nature 
hereof is much different from that of Arbor tri - 
Jlis for euery night at Sun-fet it as it were wi- 
thers and dries,fo that one would thinke it were 
dead, but at Sun-rife it recouers the former vigor, 
and by how much the Sun gropes hotter,by fo 
much it becomes the greener, and all the day it 
turnes the leaues to the Sun. 
This plant hath the fmell and tafte ofLi- 
quorice , and the leaues are commonly eaten 
by the Indians againft the cough, toclcnfe the 
chert, & cleare the voice; it is alfo thought good 
againft thepaines of thekidneies,andtohea!e 
greene wounds. Thus much Acofta. 
Now, faith Clufius , the leaues of many plants, 
efpecially pulfes, vfe to contraftor Thrinke vp 
their leaues in the night time. Now I receiued a 
dry plant, which was fent to me by the name of 
Herbamimoftjoy lames Garret in the end of 0 £fo- 
ber,i 59?, which he writ he had of the right Honourable the Earle of Cumberland, who returning 
from Saint John dt Puerto rico in the Weft Indies, brought it pur in a pot with fome earth, but could 
hot preferue it aliue.But I caufed the figure of that dried plant to be exprefled as well as it might 
fix to fit it to the defcription following,made alfo by thedried plant. This plant which was wholly 
drie and without leaues had a fingle root, and that not thick, but hard and wooddv, with few fibres', 
from whence arofe three or foure ihortftalks, which ftraight diuided themfelues into {lender bran- 
ches/.vhich fpread themfelues round about vpon the ground, at each ioint putting forth many long 
and (lender fibrcs,likeas in the branches of thecommon Woodbinde,vvhich lye vpon the ground: 
thele branches wete a cubit long, and fometimes more, round, tough, with fomeprickles^broader at 
their fetringon.as yon may fee in the common brathble,yet leffer, fewer, & Idle firme- thefc againe 
were diuided into other more {lender branches fet with many little prickles, out ofwbofe ioints be- 
twixt two little leaues grew forth foot-ftalks,bedeckt with their little leaues, which were many, fet 
in orderly ith other to anfvver to them on the other fide 3 but hauing no fingle Ieafeat the end : they 
were tender & green, not vnlike the little leaues of Acacia,Zc rhefe(at their firftcomming our)coue- 
reu with a thin whitifh hairines.a? I gathered by a little branch retaining thefoot-ftalkeand leaues 
r .ereon (which he fent with the former) and it had alfo fome fibres comming forth thereof. He alfo 
a ; - aca t0 tlje former two little heads, which growing vpon the fame planqhe writ he receiued of die 
forementioncj 
