Of English Felwoort.
The description (la descripción).
Hollowe leafed Felwoort or English Gentian, hath many long tough rootes, dispersed hither and thither within the vpper crust of the earth; from which immediately riseth a fat thicke stalke, iointed or kneed by certaine distances, set at euery knot with one leafe, and sometime mo, keeping no certaine number: which leaues do at the first inclose the stalkes round about, beinone whole and entire leafe without any incisure at all, as it were a hollowe trunke; which after it is growen to his fulnesse, breaketh in one side or other, and becometh a flat ribbed leafe, like vnto the great Gentian or Plantaine. The flowers come foorth of the bosome of the vpper leaues, set vpon tender foote stalkes, in shape like those of the small Bindweede, or rather the flowers of Sope-woort, of a whitish colour, washt about the brims with a little light carnation. Then followeth the seede, which as yet I haue not obserued. Gentiana concaua. Hollow Felwoort.
The place (el lugar).
I found this strange kinde of Gentian in a small groue of wood called the Spinnie, neere vnto a small village in Northampton shire called Lichbarrow: elsewhere I haue not heard of it.
The time (la época).
It springeth foorth of the ground in Aprill, and bringeth foorth his flowers and seede in the end of August.
The names (los nombres).
I haue thought good to giue vnto this plant, in English the name Gentian, being doubtlesse a kinde thereof. The which hath not beene set foorth, nor remembred by any that hath written of plants vntill this time. In Latine we may call it Gentiana concaua, of the hollow leaues: it may be called also Hollow leafed Felwoort.
The vertues (las virtudes).
Of the faculties of this plant, as yet I can say nothing, referring it vnto the other Gentians, vntill time shall disclose that, which yet is secrete and vnknowen.
Texto en la ortografía original de Gerard, en inglés de 1597 (la s larga se imprime como s), transcrito por la Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Un capítulo puede continuar en páginas aún no transcritas. Gerard escribía dentro de la medicina galénica; nada de esto es un consejo.