Of blacke Salt woort.
The description.
In olde time this plant was vsed for sauce and meate, as Purslaine and other herbes are in these our daies, and receiued among the Legumina. In mine opinion it was called Glaux, by reason of the colour of the leaues, which are of a gray or olde dried colour, called in Latine Glaucus color, such as are in the Sallow leafe: of others it is called Galax or Glax: of others Engalacton, quasi lactea or Lactifica: bicause it is good to increase milke in the brests of women, if it be much vsed. Ruellius and others haue set downe Galega, Securidica, Polygala, and many other plants for the true Glaux, which which hath bred a confusion. The true Glaux of Dioscorides hath many small branches, some creeping on the ground, and some standing upright, tender, and small, beset with many little fat leaues like Tribulus terrestris, or Herniaria, growing along the stalkes by couples; betweene whom grow small purple flowers; which being past, there succeed certaine little bullets, or seede vessels. The roote is very small and threddy, & taking hold of the upper face of the earth, as it doth runne abroade, by which meanes it doth mightily increase.
The place.
The true Glaux or Milkwoort groweth very plentifully in salt places and marshes neere the sea, from whence I haue brought it into my garden, where it prospereth as well as in his natiue soile. I found it especially betweene Whitstable and the yle of Thanet in Kent, and by Grauesend in the same countie, by Tilbery Blockhouse in Essex, and in the yle of Shepey, going from Kings ferry to Sherland house.
The time.
It flowreth in May, and the seede is ripe in June.
The names.
The names haue beene sufficiently spoken of in the description. It shall suffice to call it in English Sea Milkwoort.
The temperature.
Paulus Aegineta saith, it is hot and moist of temperature.
The vertues.
A. This Milkwoort taken with milke, drinke or pottage, ingendreth store of milke, and therefore it is good to be used by nurses that want the same.
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.