Of Rocket.
The kindes.
There be sundry sortes of Rocket, some tame, or of the garden; some wilde or of the fielde; some of the water, and of the sea. | 1 Eruca satiua. Garden Rocket. | 2 Eruca syluestris. Wilde Rocket. | |----------------------------------|------------------------------------| | | |
The description.
1 Garden Rocket or Rocket gentle, hath broade leaues like those of Turneps, but not altogither so great, nor rough. The stalkes rise vp of a cubite, and sometimes two cubites high, weake and brittle; at the top whereof growe the flowers of a whitish colour, and sometimes yellowish; which being past, there do succeede long coddes, which conteine the seede, not vnlike to rape seede, but smaller. 2 The common Rocket which we haue in our gardens, called the wilde Rocket, is lesser then the Romaine Rocket, or Rocket gentle, in leaues and stalkes narrower, and more iagged. The flowers be yellowe, the cods also slenderer, the seede is reddish and biteth the toong. 3 Eruca syluestris angustifolia. Narrow leafed wilde Rocket. 3 This kinde of Rocket hath long narrowe leaues, almost such as those of Tarragon, but thicker & fatter, resembling rather the leaues of Myagrum, altogither vnlike any of the rest of the Rockets, sauing that the braunche, flower, and seede are like the garden Rocket. 4 There is another kinde of Rocket, thought by that reuerend and excellent Herbarist Carolus Clusius, to be a kinde of Cressis, if not Cressis it selfe, yet cosin germane at the least: vnto whose censure L'Obelius is indifferent, whether to call it Rocket with thinne or narrowe leaues, or to call it cosin to the kinds of Cressis, hauing the taste of the one, and the shape of the other. 5 There is a wilde kinde of Rocket, which hath long, weake, and tender braunches, trayling vpon the ground, with long leaues like vnto common Rocket, or rather Groundswell, hauing small and white flowers, in whose place commeth small coddes, wherein is conteined seede like those of Barly.
The place.
Romaine Rocket is cherished in gardens, and groweth many times of it selfe among rubbish of olde buildings. Common garden Rocket groweth in most gardens of it selfe, you may see most bricke and stone wals about London and else where, couered with it. The narrowe leafed Rocket groweth neere vnto water sides, in the chinkes and creuises of stone wals among the morter. I found it as yee go from Lambithe bridge to the village of Lambithe, vnder a small bridge that you must passe ouer hard by the Thames side. I found sea Rocket growing vpon the sandes neere vnto the sea in the Ile of Thanet, harde by a house wherein sir Henry Crispe did sometime dwell, called Queakes house. Surely when I found the seede of this herbe, I thought there had beene some ship laden with Barly lost in that place, it doth so well resemble it, and withall such great quantitie of it, as if it had beene spilt in that place, vntill such time as I found some of the plants not yet withered nor lost their seede, and then I euidently perceiued it to be the seede of sea Rocket, which before that time I had not seene.
The time.
These kindes of Rocket flower in Iune and Iuly, and the seede is ripe in September. The Romaine Rocket dieth euery yeere, and recouereth it selfe by the falling of his owne seede.
The names.
Rocket is called in Greeke ευζωμον: in Latine Eruca: in high Dutch Rauckenkraut: in French Roquette: in lowe Dutch Rakette: in Italian Ruchetta: in Spanish Oruga: in English Rocket, and Racket. The Poets do oftentimes name it Herba falax: Eruca doth signifie likewise a certaine canker worme, which is an enimie to pot-herbes, but especially to coleworts. Rocket of the sea is called of L'Obelius, Kakile Serapionis.
The temperature.
Rocket is hot and drie in the thirde degree, therefore saith Galen it is not fit nor accustomed to be eaten alone.
The vertues.
Rocket is a good sallade herbe, if it be eaten with lettuce, purslane, and such colde herbes; for being so eaten, it is good and wholesome for the stomacke, and causeth that such colde herbes do not ouer coole the same; otherwise to be eaten alone, it causeth headach and heateth too much. The vse of Rocket stirreth vp bodely lust, especially the seede. It prouoketh vrine, and causeth good digestion. Plinie reporteth, that whosoeuer taketh the seede of Rocket before he be whipt, shall be so hardned, that he shall easily endure the paines. The roote and seede stamped, and mixed with vineger, and the gall of an oxe, taketh away freckles, lentiles, blacke and blew spots, and all such deformities of the face.
Text in Gerard's own spelling (the long s is printed as s), transcribed by the Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). A chapter may run onto pages not yet transcribed. Gerard wrote within Galenic medicine; nothing here is advice.