Of Milke woort.
The kindes.
THere be diuers sortes of Milke woorts, varying in the colour of their flowers, wherin consisteth their difference.
The description.
1 THere haue beene many plants neerely resembling Polygala, and yet not the same in deede, which doth verifie the Latine saying, Nullum simile est idem. This neere resemblance doth rather hinder those that haue not spent much time in the knowledge of simples, than increase their knowledge. And this also hath beene an occasion that many haue imagined a sundrie Polygala unto themselues, and so of other plants. Of which number, this (whereof I speake) is one, obtaining this name of the best writers and herbarists of our time, describing it thus. It hath many thicke spreading branches, creeping on the ground, bearing leaues like them of Herniaria, standing in rowes like the Sea Milkwoort; among which do growe small whorles, or Crownets of white flowers: the roote being exceeding small and threddie. 2 The second kinde of Polygala is a small herbe with slender pliant stems, of a wooddie substance, an handfull long, creeping by the ground: the leaues be small and narrow like unto Lintels, or little Hyssope. The flowers growe at the top, of a blew colour, fashioned like a little bird, with wings, taile, and bodie, easie to be discerned by them that do obserue the same: which being past, there succeede small pouches, like those of Bursa pastoris, but lesser. The roote is small and wooddie. 1 Polygala repens. Creeping Milke woort. 2 Polygala flore cæruleo. Blew Milke woort. 3 Polygala rubris floribus. Red Milke woort. 4 Polygala albis floribus. White Milke woort. 3 This third kinde of Polygala or Milkewoort, hath leaues and stalkes like the last before mentioned, and differeth from it herein, that this kinde hath smaller branches, and the leaues are not so thicke thrust togither, and the flowers are like the other; but that they be of a red or purple colour. 4 The fourth kinde is like the last spoken of in euery respect, but that it hath white flowers; otherwise it is very like. | 5 Polygala purpurea. | 6 Polygala obsoleto flore. | | :--- | :--- | | Purple Milke woort. | Darke coloured Milke woort. | 5 Purple Milke woort differeth from the others in the colour of the flowers: it bringeth foorth mo branches than the precedent, and the flowers are of a purple colour; wherein especially consisteth the difference. 6 The sixt Milke woort is like vnto the rest in each respect, sauing that the flowers are of an ouerworne ill fauored colour, which maketh it to differ from all the other of his kinde.
The place.
These plants or Milke woorts growe commonly in euery wood and fertill pasture, wheresoeuer I haue trauelled.
The time.
They flowre from May to August.
The names.
Milke woort is called Ambarualis flos: so called bicause it doth specially flourish in the Crosse or Gang weeke, or Rogation weeke; of which flowers, the maidens which vse in the countries to walke the procession, do make themselues garlands, and nosegaies: in English we may cal it Crosse flower, Gang flower, Rogation flower, and Milke woort, of their vertues in procuring milke in the brests of nurses. Hieronymus Tragus calleth it Polygalon, and likewise Dioscorides.
The vertues.
Galen, Theophrastus, and Dioscorides do account these for Milke woorts, and may without error be used for those purposes, whereunto Glaux serueth.
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.