Tribe z. The Theater ofTlantes. Chap, it. 
joynts or knots, from which joynts or knots, fhoote other roocesoTfirings, which indry °rounds, are bat fmalT 
and Ihort fibres, and in the mote moyft and mellow, are greater and longer, without anyjoynt a’tallin them 
(as is to be leene in the rootesofmany other plants, whole rootes have many firings) and that thefe rootes are 
they, which are like the Sarfaparilla, and not the firft, which are fhort and full of j'oynts: and that the fmalncffe 
of the rootes of SmiUx afpera, growing in Italy, or other dryer Countries, muft be rather imputed to the climate 
and foyle, rather than any thing elfe: by this narration you may perceive the judgement of the elder times and 
likewife their pradlife to ufe Smilax ajpera inftead of Sarfaparilla, for the difeafes whereunto S arfaparilla is 
proper: but I verily beleeve that the plant of S arfaparilla, that groweth in Peru, and the Weft Indies, is a pecu¬ 
liar kind of it felfe,differing from the S milax ajpera, as notably as the Mechoacan from our Brionye and may very 
well be that plant that Simon de Tovar, chiefe Phyfitian of S mill in S faint, fowed the feedes of, and had it "row- 
ing with him: and of the fet d that he lent to Clufius under the name of Convolvulus peregrimts,A\i. one plant like¬ 
wife fpring for a yeare with HoneSlus Lopes , in the low Countries, to whom Clufius had imparted fomeof To. 
vars feede,but perilhed at the firft approach ofwinter.-thedelcriptionsof both Tow and Clufins , in their man¬ 
ner of growing, are fet forth by Clufius, in the fccond booke and 18 chapter of his Exotickes or firang things, 
which I thinke not amide here to relate unto you, yet contracted into one, lead itfhouldbee too tedious to let 
them downe both particularly : Having put the feeds into rhe ground, the firft two leaves that Iprmw (fay To. 
Var and Cfi'fit's) were very like the firfi two leaves of Campanula Indica, the blue Bindweedc (and filch likewife 
doth the leede of UWcchoacan yeeld, at the firft fpringing faith Tovar) the roote afterward faith Tovar fent forth 
many branches, which woond themfelves, very much about the poales that were let for them to clime on, like 
unto Smi/ax ajpera, having fuch like leaves alfo, but greater and fofter: the branches had crooked thornesor 
prickes, growing on them likewife as the S milax ajpera hath, but fewer and nothing fo fiiarpe : that of Honeths 
Lopez faith Clufius, fprangup with many branches, winding it felfe alio about the poales, that were (lucke into 
thegroundby them; having fome tender prickes like thornes growing on them, efpeciallyat the joynts, which 
were (faitli he) nothing but the fiift fprouting of rootes, which no doubt would have takcnhold of the ground 
if earth had beetle put unto them; it had very greene leaves faith C lupus, like unto Bindweedc, but longer, and 
cornered like 1 vie leaves, ending in a long point, like to the leaves of SmiUx ajpera ; the flowers faith Tova> 
were great and white, every one as bigge as a middle fifed difh, which opening in the morning did fade at night- 
from whence the Spaniards called the plant Buenos noches, that is, good night: the plant of Honefius Lopez (aitlr 
Clufius, brought forth buddes for flowers, but could not bringthem toperfeftion, the earely Irofis deftroying 
the whole plant: Clufius faith that he had a fmall branch with three heades of feed thereon, (whofe figure J here 
give you) the largefl that ever he faw in that kinde, for it had five leaves a peece, every one almofi an inch broad 
and long, which leemed to be the cup of the flower and fruite, every head which was three fquare and skinnie 
had within it three round fieede, as big as great peafe, of afmoakie orbrownifh colour. The report of Maftcr 
White a Painter, unto Mafter Gerrard, ashefetteth it downe in the chapter of Sarfaparilla, is fomewhat to this 
purpofe; that it is the roote of afhrubeor hedge tree, like unto Hawthorne trees with leaves like Ivye, the 
comparifon unto Hawthorne is rude, according to his skill,hut it feemeth the branches abide and perifh not,there 
fpreading very much: the leaves are better refemblftl: but flowers or fruite he remembrednot. Thefe deferip- 
tions doe feeme unto me, (although no mention of roote be expreffed in the relation) very probably to let 
forth the growing of Sarfaparilla, whereof no doubt Simon dc Tovar, if he had lived longer, had given Clufius 
better infoimation : Bautinas in his Pinax, maketh it a third fpecies of S milax afpera, calling it tertia Smilax 
aFpera India Occidentals: time no doubt will declare the truth hereof more plainely, yet it might be flattened, if 
there were in any eminent perfon, any fuch ingenuity of fpirit, as to caufe fuch things, thatare rare to be fought 
out, and brought home (and many fuch there are in Italy, as at Florence, Rome , Venice, Padou, and many other 
places, that have their gardens ftored with all the rated plants they can heare of, and brought thither) and then 
ifeare,diligence and experience had the ordering of them, after they Were brought, they might make them fa~ 
mous that procured them, and be the meanesot a great deale of knowledge toothers, tor the true declaration 
of fuch things, as arc either doubtfullorhiddeninthecourfe of Phyficke. 
The Place. 
The two firft grow in Italy, Spaine, and other the warmer Countries, whether the continent or Ifles, through, 
out Europe and Afia: but the third is found onely in the Weft Indies ; the bell commeth (as it is fayd) from the 
Ho;:duras,ozhers not fo good from other places there, as the fertility or the barrennelfe of the ground, and the 
temperature of the climate, afforded meanes thereof. 
The Time . 
In the hotter Countries thefe flower, and bring forth their berries timely enough in the yeare, but in thefe 
colder Countries, without conveniencie to keepe them in the winter, the frofts will loone confume 
them. 
The Names. 
The word Smilax is diverfly taken and with diverfe fignifications among writers; it is taken for two forts of 
trees, it is likewife taken for three forts of herbes. Thcophraflus maketh mention of one of the trees, in the 3. 
booke and 1 6 chapter of his hiftory, calling it S milax Arcaium a foft Oakc, which is like unto an Ilex or 
Holly Oake. The other which the Grecians call Smilax (imply, is called in Latine Taxus, the Yew tree: the 
herbes, are firft, this here expreffed, as well as the other more gentle fort, which is the common Bindeweede, 
this the Grecians call o/Jxac TcayJIx Smilax afpera, as they call the other ouixapXHa Smilax Lev is fiuclenis, and 
^-a -he Grecians call euiraf morale, Smilax bortenfis, which is Doliehus or Phafeolus, the French or 
Kidney Beane, as fhall be fhewed in their feverall places. This Smilax afpera is called aifo of Galen in his feventh 
booke of fimples Milaxafpera. Theodoras Cjaza the tranflater of Theophraftu:, interpreted it Hedera Cilicia, 
following Plinye, who faith in lib. v 6 .c. 3y.dat the herbe called Smilax which is like unto Ivye, and came firft 
out of Cilicia, but is more frequent in Greece, hath thorniebranches, &c. Plinye alfo calleth it Nicophoros lib. 2 4. 
ctitp IO. It is called generally of all Smilax afpera, onely Loniceras calleth it Volubilis afpera , and Clufius as I 
thinke firft of alldiftinguifhed it by the berries, calling the one rutilo frulht, and the other two, when as they 
might aswell be diftinguifhedby their leaves, the red berryed as I take it having thornie leaves, and the other 
fmooth 
175 
