Of white Sattin flower.
The description.
1 Bolbonac or the Sattin flower, hath hard and round stalkes, diuiding themselues into manie other small braunches, beset with leaues like Dames Violets, or Queenes Gilloflowers, somewhat broad and snipt about the edges, & in fashion almost like Sawce alone, or Iacke by the hedge. The stalkes are charged or loden with many flowers like the common stocke Gilloflower, of a purple colour, which being fallen, the seede commeth foorth contained in a flat thinne cod, with a sharpe point or pricke at one ende, in fashion of the Moone, and somewhat blackish. This cod is composed of three filmes or skins, whereof the two outmost are of an ouerworne ashe colour, and the innermost or that in the middle wheron the seed doth hang or cleaue, is thinne & cleere shining, like a peece of white Satten newly cut from the peece. The whole plant dieth the same yeere that it hath borne seed, and must be sowen yeerely. The roote is compact of manie tuberous parts like Key clogs, or like the great Asphodill. 2 The seconde kinde of Bolbonac or white Sattin, hath many great and broad leaues, almost like those of the great burre Docke: among which riseth up a verie tall stemme of the height of fower cubits, stiffe, and of a whitish greene colour, set with the like leaues, but smaller. The flowers growe upon the slender braunches, of a purple colour, compact of fower small leaues like those of the stocke Gilloflower, after which come thinne long cods of the same substance and colour of the former. The roote is thicke, whereunto are fastned an infinite number of long threddie strings, which roote dieth not euery yeere as the other doth, but multiplieth it selfe as well by falling of the seede, as by newe shootes of the roote. 1 Viola lunaris longioribus siliquis. Long codded white Sattin. <column-break/> 2 Viola lunaris Radix. The rootes of white Sattin.
The place.
These plants are set and sowen in gardens; notwithstanding the first hath beene founde wilde in the woods about Pinner, and Harrow on the hill, twelue miles from London; and in Essex likewise about Hornchurch. The second groweth about Watforde, fifteene miles from London.
The time.
They flower in Aprill the next yeere after they be sowen.
The names.
They are commonly called Bolbonac by a barbarous name, we had rather call it Viola latifolia, and Viola lunaris, or as it pleaseth most Herbarists, Viola peregrina: the Brabanders name it Penninck-bloemen, of the fashion of the cods, like after a sort to a groat or testerne, and Paesch bloemen, bicause it alwaies flowreth neere about the feast of Easter: most of the later Herbarists do call it Lunaria: others Lunaria Græca: either of the fashion of the seede, or of the siluer brightnes that it hath; or of the middle skin of the cods, when the two outtermost skins or husks & seedes likewise are fallen away. We cal this herb in English Pennie flower, or money flower, siluer plate, Pricksong woort, in Northfolk Sattin, & white Sattin, & among our women it is called Honestie: it seemeth to be the old Herbarists Thlaspi alterum, or second Treacle mustard, & that which Crateuas describeth called of diuers Sinapi Persicum: for as Dioscorides saith, Crateuas maketh mention of a certaine Treacle Mustard, with broade leaues and bigge rootes, euen such an one as this Violet is, which was surname Latifolia or broade leafed: generally taken of all to be the great Lunaria, or great Moonewoort.
The vertues.
The seede of Bolbonac is of temperature hot and drie, and sharpe of taste, and is like in taste and force to the seede of Treacle mustard; the rootes likewise are somewhat of a biting qualitie, but not much: they are eaten with sallads as certaine other rootes are. A certaine Chirurgian of the Heluetians, composed a most singular vnguent for wounds of the leaues of Bolbonac and Sanicle stamped together, adding thereto oile and waxe. The seede is greatly commended against the falling sicknesse.
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.