Of Catch Flie, or bird-Lime woort.

| | | |---|---| | 1 Viscaria. | 2 Muscipula L'Obelij. | | Lime woort. | Catch Flie. | ☙ The description. This plant, called Viscaria or Lime woort, is likewise of the stock and kindred of the wilde Gilloflowers: notwithstanding Clusius hath ioined it with the wilde Campions, making it a kinde thereof, but not properly; L'Obelius among the sweete Williams, whereof doubtlesse it is a kinde. It hath many leaues rising immediately from the roote like those of the Crowe flower, or wilde sweete William: among which rise vp many reddish stalkes iointed or kneed at certaine spaces, set with leaues by couples one against another: at the toppe whereof come foorth pretie little red flowers, which being past there commeth in place small blackish seede. The roote is small and threddie. The whole plant, as wel leaues & stalkes, as also the flowers, are couered ouer with a most thicke and clammie matter like vnto Birde lime, which if you take in your handes, the slimynesse is such, that your fingers will sticke and cleaue togither, as if your hand touched birdelime: & furthermore, if flies do light vpon the plant, as they do vpon other herbs, they wil be so intangled with the limynesse, that they cannot flie away; insomuch that in some hot day or other, you shall see manie flies caught by that meanes: whereupon I haue called it Catch flie, or Lime woort. 2 This plant hath many broad leaues like the great Sweet William, but shorter (wherof it is likewise a kinde) set vpon a stiffe and brittle stalk; from the bosome of which leaues spring forth smaller branches than the aforesaide, clothed with the like leaues, but much lesser. The flowers grow at the top of the stalkes many togither tuft fashion, of a bright red colour. The whole plant is also possessed with the like limynesse, as the other is, but lesse in quantitie.

The place.

These plants do growe wilde in the fieldes in the west partes of England, among the corne: we haue them in our London gardens rather for toyes of pleasure, than any vertues they are possessed with, that hath as yet been knowen.

The time.

They flower and flourish most part of the sommer.

The names.

Catch flies hath beene taken for Behen, commonly so called, for the likenesse that it hath with Behen rubentis floris, or with Behen that hath the red flower, called of some Valeriana rubra, or red Valerian; for it is something like vnto it in iointed stalkes and leaues, but more like in colour: of L'Obelius Muscipula and Viscaria: of Dodoneus Armerius flos tertius: of Clusius Lychnis syluestris, Silene Theophrasti, and Behen rubrum Salamanticum: in English Catch flie, and Lime woort.

The vertues.

The nature and vertues of these wilde Williams are referred to the wilde Pinkes and Gilloflowers.