Theatrum 'Botanicum , 
flowers of Mellilot, hanging downe round about them in manner of a crowne ,after which fucceed fmall long and 
round podds,with three or fourC divifions or bunches on them, wherein lie the feede,being fomewhat long hard i 
and black; the roote is long and fomewhat thicke, hard and tough withallrOfthis kinde Clufus niakcth mention 
of an other larger in every part, which he found alfo in the wooddie hills of Vdlentia in Spaine, and a third fort 
Ma J° r with (lender greene branches full of pith,with fewer fofter and thicker leaves thereon,growing on the fea coafts 
The two firft forts grow about Trent plentifully, and are kept in many gardens with us efpecially ; the third 
groweth at the foote of certair.e hills that are neare the Alpes, among the hedges and the borders of the vineyards 
about the Tfanorve or Danubins. The fourth groweth neare the Sea fhore by Teracinum, and for the raritic of it 
brought into Cardinall Bembus his garden at SPadoa. The laft Clufus faith he found in the fields of S alamanca } as 
alfo inthekingdome of Cjranado and Valentia‘\v\. the fundry bottomes of the hills. 
The Tune. 
They doe all flower with us in June and July, or thereabouts, and give their ripe feede the next moneth after, 
except the fift which being more tender feldome abideth a yeare with us. 
The Names. 
It is called in Greeke jwAeSnu** and in Latine Colutaa, The ordinary C.oluua Veficaria is taken of mod Writers 
flnce M*tthio’.us, to be the Colutaa Lipar£ that Theophraflus mentioneth, lib. g. c.i. but I doe rather thinke 
the Colutaa Scorpioides fhould be it, becaufe it properly beareth filiqttas poddes, when as the other hath rather 
veficas tumentes,(vjo\nt bladders, and not properly podds or cods, and that Theophraflus would have given 
fome proper note of difference from other forts of filiqua cods, if he had meant thele thinrie tranfparent skinnes 
or bladders, and not the other which are the more formable ; even as his Co’ytea and Cercjs, which are arbores fi- 
liquofa or Ji'iquaU, and by fome thought to be Arbor ludx and Laburnum ; if I be miftaken herein let others of 
better judgement be umpeeres in this cafe. The other forts received the name Scorpioides , from the forme of the 
pods, which are diftinguifhed into bunches or joynts, as a Scorpions taile, and may alfo be called Siliquofe, as 
a diftinftion from the firft or greateft: they are called in Englifh Baftard Sene, becaufe the leaves are fo like unto 
the leaves of the true Sene tree; RueUius as I take it being the firft that called it Sene. The firfl is by mod Authors 
called Colutaayct Cordis in hifioria calleth it Sena, RuelliwySena APaurit anorum juad Gefrier in hortis, faith it was 
called Sena fylveflris ejuibufdamfed male ) but others Colutsia veflearia , Ctfalpinw calleth it Emcri alterum genus t 
the fecond Smcrus vulgo , but by all others Colutxafcorpioides major , and by Bauhinm Golutaafiliquofa major • the 
third being called httmilior or minor by all; the fourth is fo called as it is in the title by Bauhinm : the lafl: is called 
by Cluflus Polygala Valentina , of the people in Valentia Coronidadel Rey that is Scrtula regia y where as he faith 
the Apothecaries ufe the flowers for ALelilot t and becaufe he found it plentifully in divers territories of Spaine, as 
alfo in Valentia , and that the learned there (as he faith) did referre it to the Toly gala of Diofcorides and Pliny ; 
Lob ell calleth it Colutaa minima jand therefore I have you fee referred it to the Colutea /, as being in face or fhew 
mofl: like unto them, and as I thinke not much differing in vertue or propertie, as by the unpleafant tafte, both 
of leaves and feede may be gathered, I have therefore given it an Englilli title as I thinke not unfitting it. 
The Verities. 
The leaves of the greater baftard Sene with bladders, as alfo of the other with Scorpion pods, doc both pro¬ 
voke ftrong vomitings and purgings downewards, but very churlifhly and with fome trouble to the ftomacke 
and bowells; avoiding tough flegme and choller: the feede is more forcible in each of thofe qualities, and work- 
eth more turbulently in the body, and from the joynts : it is therefore feldome given to any but to ftrong bodies, 
and where any better or other purgers are not at hand : Let not therefore any take this to be good Serie, or ufe it 
inftead thereof. Theophraflus faith it doth fatten fheepe wonderfully, and therefore much ufed in thofe countries, 
bnt feldome proved in ours: the qualities of the other forts of baftard Sene, are not fet downe by any, but furc- 
ly their taffc being unpleafant like the other, declare them to be not much differing. 
Chap. XXXII. 
Here are many forts of our ordinary Broome as well as Spartum , Spanifi Broome, reckoned a- I 
mong thofe plants that doe purge,as alfo divers others fmaller forts called Genijlelia ; of all which il 
I meane to entreate in this Chapter. 
i. Genifta vulgaris five Scoparia. Our common Broome,' 
Our common Broome fhooteth forth many woody ftemmes or ftalkes, of the bignefle of a 's 
mans finger oftentimes (efpecially if it be fuffered to grow long) at the bottome, rifing to the! 
height of a reafonable tall man fpreading into divers the like wooddy branches,covered with an hard and thinne :>i 
darke grayifh greene barke, which fhoote forth a number of (lender pliant fquare, or cornered fmall twigges or ic 
branches^ like rufhes; whereon appeare fmalldarke greene leaves, three or foure fometimes fet together at a 
place, abiding but a fmall time, fo that it is feldome feene with leaves on it: the flowers are large, and of a gold 
yellow (hining colour, growing one above another for a* good fpace at the toppes of the branches, which:: 
turne into hard and flat fmall cods, almoft blacke when they are ripe, wherein is contained fmall and (hining ;j 
brownifh feede : the roote is long and woddy,yet tough withall, fpreading many wayes under the ground,never ; 
periflningbut'fending forth new (hootes every yeare, and more efpecially when the old ftalkes are cut and taken i 
away : From the rootes hereof in many places (but more often where no Broome groweth, namely by fields and i • 
hedge (ides and upon heathes) groweth another plant, whofe ftalke is of the bignefle of a finger or thumbe, 
fometimes above two foote high, having a fhew of leaves on them, and many flowers at the toppe, fomewhati 
like unto the flowers of Orchis, but larger and of a deadifh yellow colour, as the ftalkes and leaves are alfo: 
which perifheth without feede, or encreafing the roote,being fomewhat round and fealy. 
4 , Genijla 
