Tbeatmn \Botanicum , 
Chap. 42,. 
I. Nardus Gangitis fouriz N.arboner.fe. 
Baftard French Spiknard, 
Tribe. 
£• 
Was a commodity fo neare at hand, but brought further of; as I fliall here¬ 
after further declare) this baftard kinde hath beene obferved to growan- 
fvverable in a manner to all the parts thereof. For it hath a few fmall hard 
fibres, which thruft themfelvcs into the ground : from which fpring forth di¬ 
vers hairy round fpiky heads or beards, of the bigneffe of ones finger, and of 
an hand breadth high, of a pale browne colour, which are not pointed at the 
toppes but flat or blunt, through each of thefe heads , even from the loweft 
part next the roote , flioote forth divers long rough greene ruflies, fcarce a 
footehigh, many of thefe growing clofe one unto'another, fothat they 
make the forme or fhew as it were, but of one plant; and afcer this manner 
hath hee let forth the figure thereof: but hee further addeth afterwards, 
(which Lticfdunenfis pretermitteth, although he fetteth downe all the former 
part) that it is altogether without fmell, except thofe hairy fpiked heads or 
beards, which being bigger than the Indian kinde, doth fmell fomewhat like 
unto that Mode that groweth upon Oakes, or that other that groweth upon 
the ground, and that thefe heads being halfe way within the ground, doe 
fend forth each of them in the middle of thofe rigid rufhes, a tall (lender 
and fmooth (hike, riling about a cubite higher than the ruflies: from the 
middle whereof up to the toppes ofthem on each fide, come forth many 
fmall greene cods pointed at the ends Handing in cuppes like unto thofe of 
Cranes bill. The whole forme hereof doth fo neare refemble the true Spik- 
nard, as it hath beene obferved by Penn and others, who as he faith among 
a numher of bundles, found fome that had the parts both of fibres heads, 
rulhes, and leaves diftintlly, to be feene as this is here deferibed; that it is 
not to be doubted that it is a jpecies thereof. 
2. Nnrdus five Spica Celticn. Mountaine F rench Spiknard. 
This Mountaine Spiknard creepeth upon the ground under the loofe 
leaves and moffe,&:c. with fmall long and hard (lender rootes (for fo I call 
them rather than (talkes, as fome others doe, bccaufe in thefe rootes confi- 
fleth the whole vertue and efficacy of the plant, and are by the belt Apothe¬ 
caries ufedonely in Mithridatum, &c. and no part elfe) covered with many 
(hort fmall dry leaves like feales: fending forth in divers pteces as it cree¬ 
peth and fpreadetb, here and there fmall blackifh fibres into the ground, 
whereby it is nourifhed : at the head whereof ftandfundry fmall buttons 
or heads, from whence fpring many fmall narrow, and fomewhat thicke 
fTreenc leaves, not divided or dented at all, fmalleft at the bottome, and broad toward the end, which change 
yellow in the end ofSummer, or beginning of Autumne : among thefe leaves rife up fometimes more, and fome- 
time but one (lender (hike, without any leaves thereon, at the toppe whereof (land many fmall whitifh flowers, 
like unto the fmaller forts of Valerian, every one on a (lender foote ftalkc : which afterwards bring fmall feed 
like unto them alfo : the whole plant is fweet and aromaticall, more than the Indian Spiknard, hotter alfo, and 
lharper in tafte, than either of the other. 
3. Nnrdus Celticn niter a. Mountaine French Spiknard with tufted flowers. 
This other French Spiknard differeth in nothing from the laft but in the ftalke with flowers, which is branched 
at the toppe, bearing three or foure flowers in a tuft together, on the end of every fmall branch. 
Bnuhinus in his Prodromus fetteth forth another fort hereof like thereto in moft things, but that it is wholly 
without feent. 
4. Snliuncn Neapolitan a five Nnrdus ex Apulin. Italian Spiknard. 
This fmall plant hath a thicker and yellow roote than the laft recited,fomewhat rugged, but not fcaly like it, and 
fomewhat relembling the garden Valerian, but lefie, having fibres at the bottome, and in divers other places at fe- 
vcrall fpaces, where it fliooteth forth alfo upwards divers heads or fmall knobs, and from them many fmall long 
leaves, fomewhat larger than the other, narrower likewife below, broader upwards and pointed at the endsjwhat 
flowers, ftalkes, or feed itbearethisnotexprefled : it hath the fweet feent of garden Valerian, and likewife the 
(harpe tafte thereof, and this is all is declared of it: but that they of Nnples ufe it in their medicines, in (lead 
of the Mnlnbnthrum of Diofcorides , for the excellent fweetnefle of the leaves. 
5. Hirculus veterum Clusij, Vnfavory Spkinard. 
This fmall plant (being found dry amongft many bundles of Spica Celtica i or French Spiknard, by Clujittdn 
Antwerpe) is let forth to have a blackifh hairy roote, like unto it, but without any fmell at all,and fmaller,fhorter, 
and whiter leaves, rather grayilh, and of an afh-colour: it w r as found without any ftalke, andfo Diofcorides and 
Pliny fay it was found in their time : but theirs (as they fay) had a ftrong feent, but not fweet, and growing with 
it was uttered among the true; and by the fmell as well as colour and tafte was to be knowne from it; for it tooke 
the name r^yov or Hirculus , of the fmell thereof like unto that of a goat. 
6. Nnrdus montanatuberofa. Knobbed mountaine Spiknard. 
This kinde of Valerian or Spiknard, call it which you will, hath his firft leaves lying on the ground, without any 
divifion in them at all, being fmooth and of a darke greene colour, which fo abide all the W inter : but thofe that 
fpring up upwards, when it runneth up to flower, are cut in on the edges, very like unto the jagged leaves of the 
great garden Valerian, andfo the elder they grow, the more cut and jagged they are : the ftalke and flowers are 
very like the ftalke with flowers ofthe garden Valerian, but ofa darke or deep red colour, and more (lore ofthem 
thruft together -.the feed alfo is not unlike it; the roote is tuberous or knobbed, both above and be'low, and round 
about 
