Of Sefamoides, or bastard Weld or Woade, out of Diosc.
The kindes (las clases).
There hath beene much saide of these plants, comprehended vnder the name Sesamoides, about which many words haue beene spent, but to small purpose; the controuersie is as yet not decided: and bicause this volume groweth to be great, and much is heereafter to be saide; I am constrained to leaue it little better then nakedly set downe; the best haue done no more, although Dodonaeus hath set them downe for purgers among the Hellebores, yet I am not of his opinion, but rather repute them for kindes of diers Woade; or of the wilde Poppies. | 1 Sesamoides salamanticum magnum. Great bastarde Woade. | 2 Sesamoides salamanticum paruum. Small bastarde Woade. | |-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | | |
The description (la descripción).
The great Sesamoides hath very long leaues & many, slender toward the stalke, & broader by degrees toward the end, placed confusedly vpon a thick stiffe stalke: on the top whereof do grow little, foolish, or idle white flowers; which being past there do follow small seeds like vnto the true Sesamum, whereof it tooke his name, and is not vnlike to Alpisti, or Canarie seede that birdes are fedde withall. The roote is thicke, and of a wooddie substance. Little Sesamoides, as Dioscorides saith, hath many small hoarie leaues spred vpon the ground like those of Mouse eare; among which rise vp small stalks of a span high: on the top whereof are tufts of very little flowers, somewhat of a purple colour. The middle part whereof is white, wherein lieth the seede, bitter in taste, and of a yellowish red colour. The roote is small and slender. | 3 Sesamoides maius Scaligeri. | 4 Sesamoides paruum Mathioli. | | :--- | :--- | | Barren Welde. | Bucks horne Welde. | Barren welde hath a thicke wooddie roote, out of which rise vp immediately from the grounde sundrie small braunches, set round about with many slender, rough, and hoarie leaues like those of Pylosella, or the great Mouse eare: it bringeth foorth neither flowers nor seede, but is increased by the roote. Buckes horne Welde hath many smooth and soft long leaues, cut vpon the sides with one or two great gashes, resembling very notablie the leaues of Buckes horne. The stalkes growe to the height of a foote; on the top whereof do growe scaley knops like those of Knapweede: from the which doe shoote foorth at the time of flowring such like small flowers as Wheate hath, but of a blew colour. The roote is great, long and wooddie.
The place (el lugar).
These do growe in rough and stonie places, I haue had the seedes sent me from Padua in Italie. The flowers I do expect this present yeere.
The time (la época).
The time I expect to be in Iune, notwithstanding I haue no certaintie thereof but by report.
The names (los nombres).
I doe not finde in any author that hath written heereof any other name vsed then the title doth expresse, except some Grecians who haue called them in Greeke σεσαμοειδές: the which name Sesamoides we do retaine.
The temperature (el temperamento).
Galen affirmeth that the seede conteineth in it selfe a bitter qualitie, and saith that it heateth, breaketh, and scoureth.
The vertues (las virtudes).
Dioscorides affirmeth that the weight of a halfe pennie of the seede drunke with meade, or honied water, purgeth flegme and choler by the stoole. The same being applied doth waste harde knots and swellings.
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.