Tripe \ 
The Theater of Tlantes. 
Chap.i6, 37 i 
C HAP. XVI. 
Hypecouni. The herbe Hjipeconm of ‘Piofiorides. 
LthoUgb Cameraritu, Dodotieus, Lobel, and others doe reckon this fmall plant as a fpecies, 
or fort of wild Cumin, and have referred it to with them, yet l dare not fo call it, be f au(e I doe 
not finde either the face, or outward refemblanee there of, nor yet the temperature and qualities, 
to be any way anfwerable thereunto, but rather unto the Poppies, I have therefore thought it 
fitted: to joyne it next unto them, and doe rather incline to the judgement of to account 
this plant to be the true Hmocum of Diofcorides : unto which,I will alfo ad joyne another final! 
olant reckoned alfo by Lobel to be ofthe kindes of wild Cumin,which I muft call another Hypeocnm in that it is 
fo like unto the other: And let me crave leave with all to infert here, as m an extravagant place, that krnde of 
wild Cumin, which is fo accounted of mod Writers,as not having a fir place to fet it alone, m regard it may not 
be joyned with the true Cumin, which muft be intreated of among the umbellrfers, andbecaule this is mother 
Authors joy^dwuh^theform^ ^ ^ jj Jftc0Um 0 f viofeoride, according to Chfim. 
This fmall plant hath diverfe long leaves lying on tire ground .very much drvrdcd.and cut into many parts,of a 
pale or whitifh greene colour, fo like unto Fsemiterry in the colour of the leaves, as alfo fomewhat neerc m the 
many divifions and parts thereof, that it will foone deceive one that doth but O.ghtly regard it, but is fmallcr 
and thinner and more gentle in handling, yet is larger in Spo.ne than with us as Chfim recordeth ; in the middle 
of them rifeth up a ftalke or two, with fome leaves thereon, and divided towards the toppe into diverfe bran¬ 
ches - at the topees whereof (land fmall yellow flowers, confifting of fixe leaves two whereof are larger than 
the reft,and (land one oppofite unto another,the reft being very fmall and fearfe drfeerned but when the flower rs 
blowcn open: after which doe arife long crooked flat huskesor cods fu of joints fomewhat likeunto.the huskes 
ofthe Scorpioides of Manbiohs, but greater and longer: mthefevcral joints whereof lye feverall fquare yel- 
lowifh feede, very hardly to be taken forth, and feparated from the huskes or skrnnes: the roote is fmall, and a 
little ftringy,dying every yeare at the firft approach of Winter, and is very hardly made to fpnng, but by an 
Autumne fowing i the tafte of the plant is unpleafant. 
I Hypecortm alteram. Another Hypecotm. 
This other fort (for fo I make it ) is very like unto the former, but that the leaves hereof are not fo broad and 
long, being more finely divided, fomewhat like unto the Sefeli or Hartwott of Mar/e,lies or wild Chervi 1 ; the 
ftalkes are fmooth, full of leaves and branches, whereat come forth yellow flowers made of five pointed leaves, 
and after them long pods, which hang downe andftand not upright: nor arc crooked like the former, but joyn- 
ted and with greater and yellow feedes within them, like unto thofe of Gdega or Goates Rue, 
j. Cttm'witm fylveslre. WildCumm. 
Wild Cumin (hooteth forth diverfe long rough, or fomewhat hard winged leaves,each whereof is finely den¬ 
ted about the edges j from among which rifeth up a flender weake bending ftalke, divided at the toppe into 
many parts, each whereof l atha round whitifh foft gentle, and woolly head or ball upon a fmall roote ftalke* 
like unto thofe of the Plane tree heads or balls, wherein is con¬ 
tained fmall feedes: the roote is fmall and white and quickly 
perifheth, with the kail blades ordewes of cold nights, ana 
feldomecommethtomaturitieinour countrey, as I have often 
feene the experience my feife. 
The place. 
The two firft groweth as well in Province, in the way to 
Arles, Mompeliery and other places in France , as in diverfe Pro¬ 
vinces of Spaine as Ctafias faith : the other as Label faith, grow- 
eth in the fame places in France , that the former doth: the Iaft 
he faith likewil'c groweth plentifully in Narbone about Aqaas 
Scxtiasy and other places of France . 
The Time. 
All theft flower with us, not untill the midft of Sommer, and 
give their feede late, but the laftworft as Ifaid, and feldome 
good although late. 
The Names. 
Diofcorides calleth an herbe in Greeke w - 55v and vmfeoy Hype- 
coum and Hypopheam , for which the Latineshave no other name 
Hypecoam , alter the Greeke; yet there is great doubt amongft 
many, what plant fhould be the right, fome thinking the Tha- 
liFlrnmminw to be it, others thinking the Argemone minor of 
Tragus ( which is the lefler Papaver Rhaas - ) to be it zOWat* 
tbioI h s ( according to his manner, that whatfoever was 
obtruded unto him, and was not manifeftly contradi&ory, 
was prefently prefented for right; no markes there of wan¬ 
ting) maketh the Alcea vejicaria or Veneta , which Lobel cal— 
leth PercgrinaSolifequa to be it, which I have fet forth in my 
former Booke: And laftly Clajias , and from him Dodonzut 
propound this firft plant, for the true H ypccoum of Diofcorides ; 
Clajias affirming that of all the plants that he knew, there was 
not any that came nearer thereunto than this, unto whom I 
V muft alfo confeut> for that neither the face nor the qualicie* as I 
I. Hyptcoum legitimum CluFj . 
The true Hypetcum of Ci'ufm, 
