Of Lauander spike.

| 1 Lauandula flore cæruleo. | 2 Lauandula flore albo. | |-----------------------------|---------------------------| | Common Lauander spike. | White flowred Lauander spike. |

The description.

Lauander spike hath many stiffe branches of a wooddie substance, growing vp in manner of a shrub, set with many long hoarie leaues, by couples for the most part; of a strong smell, yet pleasant ynough to such as loue strong sauors. The flowers growe at the top of the branches spike fashion, of a blew colour. The roote is hard and wooddie. The second differeth not from the precedent, but in the colour of the flowers: for this plant bringeth milke white flowers; and the other blew, wherein especially consisteth the difference. 3 Lauandula hortensis minima. The Smallest Lauander. We haue in our English gardens a smal kinde of Lauander, which is altogither lesser than any of the other of his kinde, wherein consisteth the difference.

The place.

In Spaine, and Languedocke in France, most of the mountaines and desert fieldes, are as it were couered ouer with Lauander. In these cold countries they are planted in gardens.

The time.

They flower and flourish in Iune and Iuly.

The names.

Lauander spike is called in Latine Lauandula, and Spica: in Spanish Spigo, and Languda. The first is the male, and the seconde the female. It is thought of some to be that sweete herbe Casia, whereof Virgil maketh mention in the seconde Eclog of his Bucolicks. > Tum Casia atque alijs intexens suauibus herbis, > Mollia luteola pingit vacinia Caltha. The maide faire hir garlād decks with flowers gay That yeeld a fragrant smel as fresh as somer may; Mingling sweete Lauander and yellow Marigold With purple violet, most pleasant to behold. And likewise in the fourth of his Georgicks, where he intreateth of choosing of seates and places for Bees, and for the ordering thereof. > Hæc circum Casia virides, & olentia late > Serpilla, & grauiter spirantis copia Thymbra, About the seates of Bees many braue herbes are planted That with pleasant aires, fill the places of them haunted As Lauander, wilde Time and Thymber, most sweete in sent Breathing foorth strong smels, their appetites oft to content. Yet there is another Casia, called in shops Cinamomum, and Canella, as also Casia nigra, which i named Casia fistula; & another a small shrubbie plant extant among the shrubs or hedge bushes cal led Casia poetica.

The temperature.

Lauander is hot and drie, and that in the third degree, and is of a thin substance, consisting o many airie and spirituall partes. Therefore it is good to be giuen any way against the diseases of th head, and especially those which haue their originall or beginning not of abundance of humor but chiefly of a qualitie onely.

The vertues.

The distilled water of Lauander smelt vnto, or the temples and forehead bathed therewith, is refreshing to them that haue the Catalepsie, a light Migram, and to them that haue the fallin sicknes, & that vse to swoune much. But when there is abundance of humors, especially mixed wit blood, it is not then to be vsed safely, neither is the composition to be taken, which is made of disti led wine: in which such kinde of herbes, flowers, or seedes, and certaine spices are infused and steeped, though most men do rashly and at aduenture giue them without making any difference at all. For by vsing such hot things that fill and stuffe the head, both the disease is made greater, and the sicke man also brought into danger, especially when letting of blood, or purging haue not gone before. This much by way of admonition, bicause euery where diuers rash and ouerbold Apothecaries, and other foolish women, do by and by giue such compositions, and others of the like kinde, not onely to those that haue the Apoplexie; but also to those that cannot sleepe, & haue also an ague; to whom they can giue nothing worse, seeing those things do very much hurt, and oftentimes bring death it selfe. The flowers of Lauander picked from the knaps, I meane the blew part, and not the huske, mixed with Cinamom, nutmegs, and cloues, made into powder, and giuen to drinke in the distilled water thereof, doth helpe the panting and passion of the hart, preuaileth against giddinesse, turning, or swimming of the braine, and members subiect to the palsie. Conserue made of the flowers with sugar, profiteth much against the diseases aforesaid, if the quantitie of a beane be taken thereof in the morning fasting. It profiteth them much that haue the palsie, if they be washed with the distilled water of the flowers, or annointed with the oile made of the flowers and oile oliue, in such manner as oile of roses is, which shall be expressed in the treatise of Roses.