Tribe ii. The Theater of 'Plants. Cnaf.2 6 1097 
The Names, 
It is ailed inGreekeby DiofcoridesliM^znd by other Greekes and but Theophrafius callethit 
fiviu&f, a cornu, fmxlituainc fivi fit capri vel bovii, the crooked fcede veffells being lo like unto homes 5 in Latins 
Tcemrmgrdcum, becaufe that, as Columna faith, it had two time? of lowing, the one before W inter to be fodder 
for cattle, the other in February for feede, and (imply calleth it Siltqua. Varro calleth it S Uicula - and Pliny Si~ 
Ijcia • all other now adayes call the firft Fcenumgrdciim or fativum ; and the fecond Fcenumgrecumfylveftre, and 
Ba uktnui F cer.umgrscjim fylvcftre alter ton poly ceration ; and thinketh it is the hedpfarum minimum of Lugdunenfis s 
the Arabians call it Olba Flebbe , and Helbe , th t Italians Fiengreco ; theSpaniards Alfornas ; the (jermanes Bock** 
horn • the Frc neb. Dutch , and EnAiJh, Fenutzreekc. 
TheVertues . 
The fcede of Fenugreeke is onely in nfe with us, the herbe it felfe never ufed that I know, becaule it isleldome 
feene growing with us 3 and as (jalen faith, is hot in the fecond degree, and dne in the firft, it clenieth, efigefteth, 
difTolvcth and mollifieth •• the powder of the fcede taken with a little hony driveth forth many noyfome humors 
out of the body, mollifieth inward Impoftums and Vlcers in the Lungs and breads, and eafeth the griping paines 
of the intralls, but it doth overturnc and breede a loathing in fomc ftomackcs, elpccially if they bee tender, but 
may well ferve to robuftious and countrey people invred to ftrong labour, for I know no Phyfitions in our dayes 
doe ufe it inwardly, yet Alpintu laith that the Egyptian women doe ule to eate the feed,which Galen and divers 
authors faid was ufed in their timcs(bcing buried a little in earth to make them fproute,w hereof many Sacke fulls 
are fold in the markets daily ) to make them grow fat. But outwardly applyed it hath many good ufes of fami¬ 
liar and daily experience, for the tmalc thereof heated with Vinegar and applyed cur wardly to the Region of the 
Spleenc, doth mollifie and wafte the hardneffe thereof, as alfo other hard tumors and fwellings; t he decodion 
thereof mollifieth like wile the hardneffe,and other paines or heate of the mother, and openeth the obftiu&ions 
of it, if they lit therein as in a bathe, or receive the hot fumes by fitting over it: the decodion thereof clentcih 
the head and haire from feurfe, dandraffe and the running fores thereof tichelpcth thedifeafe called tena/mw, 
that is an often defire totheftoole without doing anything, as alio the Bloody flux when the excrements fmeli 
ftrong: a Pultis made with the meale thereof and Linfcede, and the dccodionof Mallowes, and a little oyle or 
Axungia put thereto altwageth the fwelling and paines of the cods or privy parts of women, and generally all 
other*lwellings and tumors: the fame alfohelpeth the Goute and other joynt aches that come of cold \ the Muc- 
cilagc of the bruifed feede fteeped in water and ftrayned forth,boyled in oyle or axungia is of much goo^ ule tor 
many of the forelaid griefes : the dccodion or the muccilagc applyed to the forehead with clothes dipped there¬ 
in ftayeth the flux of humors to the eyes, and eafeth the paines and inflammations in them : ufed alio in G lifters' 
it is effeftuall in the Stone by opening and mollifying the inward parts. Lobcl faith,that of the fcede is made an 
oyle of more vertue then would be beleeved, to diffolve feirrhous fwellings in the intralls, and other hard knots 
and kcrnells. 
Chap, XXVI. 
Tribulut terrejlrts, Land Caltrops. 
He Land Caltrops (for that of the water 
ifSE fhali bee fpoken of in another Claflis or 
Tribe ) rifeth up with divers fmall hard 
branches, with divers winged leaves on 
them made of many fmall leaves let on 
both (ides of a middle ribbc like Orobtn : at the joynts 
Hand fingly fmall pale whirilh yellow flowers which 
tun e int Imall rough prickly heads, of five or fix cor¬ 
ners, wherein lycth a fmall ketnellor feede : the roote 
growethdownewards with many long fibres thereat. 
The Place and Time. 
It groweth in the fandy fields among Come beyond 
Sea,as alfo among rubbifh, and the ruincs of buildings 
and by wall fides ; wee finde it many rimes in our owne 
Land :it flowreth in July and ripeneth in Augufi, 
The Names . 
Ic is called in Grceke tfet&x©- and in Lacine 
alto Tribu/tu terrejlrii quodfiliejua plants muricata eft. 
The Arabians call it Ha/ach or Haferl^ the Italians 
Tribolo terreflre, the Spaniards Abrotos and Abrolhos, the 
French Saligot terreftre, the Cjermancs fValdt Kletltn , the 
Dutch , and wee in Engtijh Land Caltrops, 
from the forme of the fruit like thofe inftruments of 
warre,that were calf in the enemies way to annoy their 
Horfes : but why Pliny fhould account 7ribulus,Loli- 
urn, CarduM and Lappa no leffe then Rub™, to bee the 
difeafes of Cornc rather then Plagues and faults of the 
earth, I fee no caufejand yet it feemethit was a generall 
errourgrowen ftrong by tradition in thofe elder ages, 
as many other things were about the Metamorphofis of 
Tribulmterre/lTu. Land Caltrop:. 
