Tkeatrum \Botanicum , 
Tribe 
21 + 
Alter 
Clajlj. 
Chap. 25. 
neth ;but it is notthethirdof^0^»*#.rashe faith, but the fecond, and rhis that I here defcribe unto you, is T*o- 
donans his third Veratrum nigrum ) which greene head growing to be the veiled, wherein the blacke feede is con¬ 
tained, fhooteth forth into foure,five, or fixe homes; fafhioned like the other baftardkind, but fmaller, as the 
feede is alfo for the mod part* the roote is but (ingle with nothing fo many ftringes growing with it, and often¬ 
times periiheth after it hath given feede, yet notalwayes, nor in all places: the whole plant, and every part 
thereof, is of a worfe fmell than the other: the roote of this withthe lower part of the dalke next thereunto, 
is that Setterwort, thatthe countrie people doe ufc to rowell their catted withall. Of this kinde alfo Clujius ma > 
keth mention of an other, differing onely in the darker greene colour of the leaves, and in the flower, thatthe 
edges of the three innermoft areof a darke purple colour. 
5. Helleborus niger fernlactus. Fennell leafed baflard blacke Hellebor. 
This kind of ballard Hellebor fhooteth forth many greene ftaikes, fometimes lying or leaning to the ground, 
or elfe [landing fomewhat upright, befet very thicke with fmall leaves, finer and fhorter than fennell, fome of 
them ending in a tuft of fuch like fine greene leaves, and fome having at the tuppes of them one large flower a 
peece,fomewhat reddifh or brownifh on the outfide, while they are in bud and a while after, which being open 
confift of 12. or 14 long and narrow leaves, ofa faire fhining yellow colour, fet in order round about a greene 
head with yellow thrummes in the middle, laying themfelves open in the Sunne or a faire day, but elfe re¬ 
maining clofe: after the flower is pad, the head growing greater fheweth it felfe compaft of many round whi- 
tifli feede, very like unto the head of Adonis flower, but much greater: the rootes are many long and blackifh 
firings fet together at the head,very like unto thofe of the leiTer blacke Hellebor or Eearefoote, but harder,differ, 
or more brittle, and feeming to be without any moifturein them, blit abide and increafe every yeare, although 
the ftaikes with greene leaves doe utterly perifh every yeare. 
6 . Helleborus niger SankuUfolto major. The greater purging Sanide like Hellebor. 
This Hellebor hath divers broad darke greene leaves, each of them Handing upon a long footeflalkc, which a re 
cut in on the edges into five divifions for the mod part,& dented about befides,fomewhat refembling the leaves of 
the common Sanicle, but more truely the leaves of the field Ranunculus or Crowfoote, or Geranium Batrachoides 
Crowfoot,Cranes bill: from among which rife up divers flender fmootb greene dalkes.having fome leaves upon 
them,and at the tops of them, two or three or more dowers together,each of them confiding of many fmall hard 
whitifh leaves, as a pale or border, compafling many threads in the middle ■ which being fallen, there rife up 
many flat whitifh and long feede, fomewhat like unto feete Fennell fvveede, but not altogether fo bigge, nor lo 
yellow ; CJerard following ‘Dodonaus description, and not his owne knowledge ; iaith the feeds are like unto 
Carthamus , and his Corrector mendeth not the fault: the rootes are (mail blacke dringes, (hooting from a toppe 
head, like unto the roote of the Bearefootes. 
7. Helleborus niger Sanicuhefolio minor. Small purging Sanicle like Hellebor. 
This fmall Hellebor or Sanicle, (which you plcafc to call it) hath divers fmall and fomewhat round leaves,eve- 
rieone upon a long footedalke, being not much broader than the nayleof a mans thumbe, yet div ided even to 
the middle ribbeinto feven parts, everyone of them being fhort, narrow, and dented about the edges -.the 
dalkes are many and fmall, not above an hand breadth high, withoneor two leaves on them, more cut in and 
divided than die lower are; at the toppes of them Hand divers fmall dowers very thicke, fet together in tufts or 
umbles, like unto the lad,but fmall.er, after which come fmall dat feede, fomewhat like die other, but lefler by 
much, as it is alfo in all the ocher parts thereof. 
8. Epipatlis LMatthioli. Afatthiolus hisbadard blacke Hellebor. 
This fmall herbe rifeth up with fundry flender weake fmooth dalkes, bearing each of them a broad greene 
Ieafe, divided for the mod part into five divifions or parts, fomewhat like thofe oftbefixt, yet fometimes but 
into three, efpecially the fird or lowermod s and dented alfo about the edges: the flowers grow from among the : 
leaves upon the like flender dalkes, being darrelike, and compofedcf fixe pale coloured leaves,with many fhorc 
th eades in the middle; the roote is a tuft of blacki/li fibres like the former blacke Hellebors, ifiuing from a 
thicke a head. 
The Tlace. 
The fird groweth in Germany, France, and 7 ^(y,and Greece in fundry places : the fecond I have feene in fome 
woods in Northamptonfhi'e, and in other places of this Land; the third grewat c Delft with C orvinus, and 
then at Rome, as Aldinus faith in his Farnejian garden : the fourth groweth,as Tragus faith in the borders of dony ' 
fields and grounds, and on rockie hills by the Mofella and the Rhine, as alfo in Harcynia Sylva ; and Etna faith in i 
Aquitaine,^ alfo by the river Lams at Afompelier ;thc fifth groweth neere Vienna in Auflria , and both the Hun- ■ 
caries as C lufuts faith : the fixth groweth naturally on the hills of Germany, and other untilled and craggy places: . 
the feventh groweth on MonsfruElus ncare the cNlpes, as alfo on the 7 yr&nean hills: the lad as Rena faith in the : 
low grounds or valleyes of the forred or wood of Effens, not farre from Iupiters hill. 
The Time. 
The fird doth flower in December and Ianuary, if the weather be any thing temperate ; the fecond, third, and: 
fourth in February or March, and their feede is ripe in May ■ the fifth in A prill: the other in May and Tune. 
The Names . 
It is called in Greeke and fometimes without the afperation pc di£t*m volunt quod cibum- 
corporis eripiat , in Latine alfo Blleborus dr Flleborum , and alio Helleborus , & Helleborum, & veratrum, quod men- 
tem vertat : But there is much controverfie and contrarietie,both in the ancient and moderne Writers concerning: 
them ; for the Helleborus oiTheophraftus and Diofcorides doe much differ the one from the other, and divers of 
our moderne Writers, thinke that ours doe differ from them both. Some likewife appropriate one herbe, fome 
another unto theirs as you fhall prefently hear z.Theophraftus faith in the ninth Booke, and eleventh Chapter of 
his Hidory of Plants, that the rootes of the blacke and whit* Ellebor, are like the one unto the other, except the 
colour, that is, the one blacke the other white (which may be reconciled if you will take it fpoken onely of their 
Fibres, the one being blacke, the other white) but that the leafe of the blacke as he faith is like unto a Bay Icafej 
and that of the white unto thofe of Leekes, can no way be reconciled, for they are fo differing from Dtofcorides 
Qt ours, that we may well fay, we neither have nor know any of both Thcop.yraftus his Ellebors, vnleffe there 
be 
