Of wilde rose Campions.

1 Lychnis sylvestris rubello flore. Red wilde Campion. <column-break/> 2 Lychnis marina Anglica. English Sea Campion. <column-break/>

The description.

1 The wilde rose Campion hath many rough broad leaues, somewhat hoarie and woolly; among which rise vp long, soft and hairie stalkes, branched into many armes, set with the like leaues, but lesser. The flowers growe at the top of the stalkes, compact of fiue small leaues, of a reddish colour. The roote is thicke and woodie, with some threds annexed thereto. 2 The sea rose Campion is a small herbe, set about with many leaues from the lower part vpward, which leaues are thicke, somewhat lesser and narrower than the leaues of sea Purslane. It hath many crooked stalks spred vpon the ground, a foote long; in the vpper part whereof there is a small white flower, in fashion and shape like a little cup or boxe, after the likenes of Behen album, or Spatling Poppie, hauing within the said flower little threds of a black colour, in taste salt, yet not vnpleasant. It is reported vnto me by a gentleman one Master Thomas Hesket, that by the sea side in Lancashire, from whence this plant came, there is another sort hereof with red flowers. 3 The third kinde being a wilde field Campion, hath leaues like vnto the wilde red kinde, but that his stalkes are hairie, and the flowers of a reddish colour. 4 The fourth kinde of wilde Campions hath long and slender stems, diuiding themselues into sundrie other branches, which are ful of ioints, hauing many small and narrow leaues, proceeding from the said ioints. The flowers do grow on the top of the stalke, of a whitih colour on the inner side, and purplish on the outward side, consisting of fiue small leaues, euery leafe hauing a cut in the end, which maketh it of the proportion and shape of a forke: the seede is like the wilde Poppie; the roote somewhat grosse and thicke. 3 Lychnis syluestris hirta. Wilde hairie Campion. 5 Lychnis Hirta minima. Small hairie Campion. <column-break/> 4 Lychnis syluestris prima Clusij. Hoarie wilde Campion. 6 Lychnis syluestris incana. Ouerworne Campion. 5 The fift kinde of wilde Campion hath three or fower great foft leaues, fomewhat downie, lying flat vpon the grounde: among which rifeth vp an afhe coloured ftalke, diuided into diuers branches: whereupon do growe at certaine fpaces, euen in the fetting together of the ftalke and branches, fmall graffelike leaues, which refemble the fhaggey hairineffe of a goate, but of an ouerworne duftie colour, as is all the reft of the plant, whereof it tooke his name Hirfuta. The flowers growe at the top of the braunches, compofed of fiue fmall forked leaues of a bright fhining red colour. The roote is thicke and of a wooddie fubftance. 6 The fixt kind of wilde Campion, hath very many long, thicke, fat, and hoarie leaues fpred vpon the grounde, in fhape and fubftaunce like thofe of the garden Campion, but of a verie duftie ouerworne colour: among which rife vp fmall and tender ftalkes, fet at certaine diftances by couples, with fuch like leaues as the other, but fmaller. The flowers do growe at the top of the ftalkes in little tufts, like thofe of fweete Williams, of a red colour. The roote is thicke, with many threddie ftrings faftned to the vpper part thereof. 7 Lychnis Cauliculis ftriatis Clufij. Spatling Campion. <column-break/> 8 Lychnis fylueftris alba. White wilde Campion. The defcription. 7 Spatling Campion hath a flender hoarie ftalke fomewhat brittle, whereupon are fet fmall fharp pointed leaues ftraked with greene among the hoarie part of the leafe, euen as the graffe called Ladies Laces are ftriped with white among the greene part of the leafe, fet together vpon the ftalk by couples, in equall diftaunces. The flowers growe at the top of the fmall braunches like vnto Cowe Bafill, or rather like Spatling Poppie, of a white colour, whereupon I gaue it that name. 8 The wilde white Campion hath leaues like vnto the Sea ftocke Gilloflower. The ftalke is hoarie and hairie. The flowers grow at the top of the ftalkes, of a milke white colour. The roote is tough of a woodie fubftaunce, and fome threddie ftrings annexed thereto. 9 Lychnis Plumaria. Fethertop wilde Campion. 9 The feathered Campion hath a thicke grosse roote, of a woodie substance, as most of the Campions haue: from which riseth vp a stiffie hoarie stalke, set from the bottome to the top by couples, with leaues like vnto Cowe Basill: from the bosome of the leaues hard by the stalke come foorth little tender shootes, whereon do growe very small hoarie leaues. The flowers grow at the top of the braunches, in shape like little gooseberries, thrusting foorth in one place of eche little flower a small purple tassell: the little knubbe it selfe is of a yellowish colour.

The place.

They growe of themselues neere to the borders of plowed fieldes, meddowes, and ditch bankes, common in many places. The Sea Campion groweth by the sea side in Lancashire at a place called Lytham, fiue miles from Wygan, from whence I had some seedes brought me for my garden by a diligent searcher of simples, master Thomas Hesketh, who hath harde it reported that in the same place doth grow of the same kinde some with red flowers, which are very rare to be seene.

The time.

They flower and flourish most part of the sommer, euen vnto Autumne.

The names.

The wild Campion is called in Greeke λυχνὶς ὰγρία: in Latine Lychnis syluestris: in English wilde rose Campion.

The temperature.

The temperature of these wilde Campions are referred vnto those of the garden.

The vertues.

The weight of two drams of the seede of wilde Campion, beaten to powder and drunke, doth purge choler by the stoole; and is good for them that are stung or bitten of any venemous beast.