Theatrum c Botankum , 
eSo Chap. 13. 
r1B E.Z. 
both in manner of growing, w ith branches .leaves,flowers and rootes, but leffer in every particular, and the roote 
(wherein is the chiefeft difference) being lharpe and loathfome.procuring vomiting and troubling the ftomacke, 
when it is taken,as mch as any ordinary Bryonie can doe. 
9. tMechoaean nigricans Jive Ialapium. BlackeMechoacanor Ialap, 
Although we have not feene this Ialap grow withus, or have heard it to grow in any thefepartsof Europe, 
neither are a (fared that the plant thereof is of this family,more than by conjefture.and fight of the dryed rootes, 
(brought unto us as a Merchandife and a purging roote ) being femewhat like in vertue and in forme unto the 
fmaller peeces of the former Mechoacan ; yet 1 thought good to make mention of it in this place, among the 
red of this kinde, both to let it be knowne to thcworld, and to excite fome one orotherto getthe feede, or the 
greene roote, that by fight thereof growing frefh, we may know to what tribe or family it doth belong; it com- 
meth to us in fmall thinne peeccs, fome greater lome fmaller, yet nothing fo large as the greater, but rather as the 
fmaller peeces of CMcckoacan, of a brownifh blacke colour, lomewhat more folid, hard, compaft, and gummie 
withall,for out of it will rife a black gum,being layd on a quick or burning coale,but not (flame in any that I have 
f-eneor trved 1 and of no unpleafant tafte; but (licking a little.in the teeth when it is chewed. 
' The Place. 
The firfl groweth on bankes or under hedges, throughout this whole Kingdome. The fecond groweth in fome 
Countries of (yermany, Bohemia, &c. where the former white doth not. The third groweth plentifully in 
Qmdi, from whence Honerius Bellas fent the feed thereofto Clujirn and others. The fourth Gerard faith groweth 
inbufnes and hedges, almoft every where, but herein I amfure he is much miflaken, thinking that our ordinary 
blacke Bryonie is this of Diofcorides for I have neither found it my fclfe in any place, nor underllood of a cer¬ 
tainty from others, that they have found any with blacke berries and ablackeroote; and I finde fome good au- . 
thours doe doubt, whether the right be to be found or no. The lift Bauhinus faith was found in the woods by 
Huningen a village in Germany. The fixt is found wild in many places of our owne Countrie as well as in Italy, jj 
as (Matthiolous laith, or in Frame and Cjermanie as Lobel faith. The feaventh as Monardus faith, groweth in the 
Province of Mechtacan 40 miles beyond CMexeco , from whence it was firfl brought into Spaine: but afterwards, 
both more plentifully,better conditioned and of more eft'eft, was brought from the firme or maine land of Nica¬ 
ragua and 3 y<ito. The eight Monarins faith was brought from the promontory ofS. Helen, which is on the fame 
continent with Nicaragua. The laft is likewife brought from a place inthe Indies, called (Jhelapa or Calapa, from 
whence alfo it Cooke the name. 
The Time, 
They doe all flower in the monthes of My and August, fome earlyer or later than others, as their originall is 
from colder or warmer countries, and their feede if they give any ripe with 11s, is perfeft foone after. 
7 he Names. 
It is called in Greeke deArT bites alba c r Yitalba fee deed, a non quod ptvitis fed ejuodei femiles, as alfo 
/if jama, oGsfes forte quod tj} pullule, ext olio, exalte, 'juod in vicinos [entices Jcandcns feexto/lat aiej / late pullulet : ic 
is likewife called 'PfawHgrr, pji/otrum quodex ejtes acini 1 carta depilari ac confici pojfunt, in Latine of fome Vitirella, 
of Others Roraflrum,o( Apuleius Apiafletlum eh Vva Taminia, but of moft bites alba, Bryonia, and Bryonia alba. 
The fecond is called Bryonia nigra, bites Ultra, & Vitis alba baccis nigrts, and onely diftinguilhed from thefi;fl, 
by the colour of the fruite and roote, for that it is but one kind, differing by the nature of the climate where it 
groweth. The third is called Bryonia Dicoccos of Hors, re its ‘Bellas, who as I layd before, firll lent it from Candy. 
Basehmus callech ic Bryonia Crettca rnaeultta. The fourth is called in Giceke deeds®- ustsAs, , in I.atine bites 
K ig ra t (itaditfa ab acinis radiccquc nigris,ey-quod vitisjimilitudinemhabet) Bryonia nigra cr litis Chironia, the 
truekindeof ‘Diofcorides.vthofc branches having tendrels, whole leavesbeing Ivyelike, the berries and roote 
blacke, is knowne to very few. Thefift is called by Bauhinus in his Prodr omen Bryoniafyl, baccifera, in his Binax, 
Bryonia Uvis Jive nigra baccifera. The fixt is taken of moft writers to be bites nigra, or Bryonia nigra of ViofcoricUs, 
as tjblattbiolses, Anguillara, Lacuna, CJefnar, Caftor GDurantcs, Lugdunenfis, Tabermontanus, and Lobel. Dodonaus 
calleth it Tamus & Tit is fylvejlris,b\it faith it diftereth from that bites fylvejlris that is called Labrufca, which 
differeth little from the true manured Vine; but that it groweth wild and beareth few or no grapes: Some as- 
Hodonaus call it bites Taminia, and the berries Vva Taminia, yet fome would appropriate that name to the Bryonia 
alba : it is in moft of the Apothecaries fhoppes in Italy, France, and Gerrnanye called Sigillum Santis CAlarUor 
Beats Mariat Some likewife would have it to be the Cyclaminus Cijfanthemos of Diofcorides, which it cannot 
be, for he faith the roote is unprofitable, which this is not, and others to be Pliny his Salkatlrmn-, both which are i 
more truely referred to the Dulcamara or Solanum lignofum. Gerard is much deceived in thinking Cyclamimss t 
a/tcraDiofcoridis, to be a kinde of (fyclamen. The feaventh is called of moft men A fccboacetn,from the place where > 
it grew, yet Monardus faith the Spaniards that ufed it, called it Khabarbarum from the e[feels, and to diftinguiih f 
it, called it Mecheeacanum Indicunt, O' album Rbabarbarum, and Khabarbarum Adechoacanum : Bauhinus laith (I 
it doth neereft refemble the Bryonia [ylvejlris , and therefore calleth it Bryonia Aleehoce.tm ditla, D odorous rather t 
Caketh it to be a kinde of Scammonye calling it Scammonium Americanum but not rightly. The eight is called Ate- ; 
choacanafylvejlrispas a wild and worfe kina of the former,and as Monardus faith,they that do once ufe it, will ne- ■ 
ver ufe it againe.in regard of the violent paines and fymptomes it doth procure, and therefore Monardui thoughc I; 
it to be rather zScammonye , and is called of Bauhinus Bryonia Mochoacana fylvetlris. The laft is called lalapium. 
Jalap, and GeLpo. in different places. Bauhinus calleth it Bryonia eJAtechoacana nigricans. The Arabians callthe > 
white Englifh Alfefera, the Italians Vite bianco Or Zucca falvatica, the Spaniardes Nuessa Blanca Bryonia and : 
Norca blarea yhc French Coleurces and Feuardcnt, the Germanes Stioberurtr. Hands raben & Teufels Kirjcbe, the 
Dutch fVitte Bryonie, and we in Englifls Bryonie,tvhite Bryonie, tvhite weld Vine, and 7 otter berries. 
The Vertues. n 
The roote ofthe white Bryonie purgeth the belly, with great violence, troubling the ftomacke and hurting the I 
liver, wherefore it is not rafhly to be taken, but as Metises advifeth, fome fpice is to bee added to it, or fome it 
Maflicke,Quinces or other fach like aftringent and ftrengthening thing. The firft and tender (hootes, as Diofco- e 
rides and Galen fay, were ufed in their times to be eaten in the fpring, both to purge the belly and to provoke ; 
Brine, and is layd to be alfo ufed in our times in other parts, but not in our conntrie, who delight not in fo bitter, i, 
but 1] 
