Of Candie Mustard.
The description.
Candie Mustarde excelleth all the rest, as well for the comely flowers that it bringeth foorth for the decking vp of gardens and houses, as also for that it goeth beyonde the rest in his physicall vertues. It riseth vp with a very brittle stalke of a cubite high, which diuideth it selfe into sundrie bowes or braunches, set with leaues like those of the stocke gilloflowers, of a graie or ouerworne greene colour. The flowers growe at the top of the stalkes rounde, thicke clustering togither, like those of Scabious or Deuils bit, somtimes blewe, often purple, sometimes carnation or horse-flesh, and seldome white, for any thing that I haue seene, varying according to the soile or climate. The seede is reddish, sharpe, and byting the toong, wrapped in little huskes fashioned like a hart.
The place.
This plant groweth naturally in that Pannonia which is nowe called Austria, in vntoiled places, and by high waie sides: in Crete or Candia, in Spaine and Italie, and such like hot regions, from whence I receiued seede, by the liberalitie of the right Honorable the Lorde Edward Zouche, at his returne into England from those partes, with many other rare seedes, which do flourish in my garden, for which I thinke my selfe much bounde vnto his good Lordship.
The time.
It flowreth from the beginning of Maie vnto the ende of September, at which time you shall haue flowers, and seedes vpon one braunch, some ripe, and some that will not ripen at all.
The names.
This plant is called in Greeke Θλάσπι, or Λεψίδιον, by a small errour in chaunging δ into α: in Latine Arabis and Draba: Plinie in his 27. booke 9. chapter, nameth it Dryophonon: it is vsually called Thlaspi Candiae: in English Candie Thlaspi, or Candie Mustarde.
The temperature.
The seede of Candie Mustarde is hot and drie in the ende of the thirde degree, as is that called Scorodothlaspi or treacle Mustarde.
The vertues.
A Dioscorides saith, that they vse to eate the dried seede of this herbe with meate, as we do Mustarde, especially in Cappadocia. B They vse likewise to boile the herbe with the decoction of Barly, called Ptifana, in which being so boiled, it concocteth and bringeth foorth of the chest tough and rawe flegme, which sticketh therein. C It is reckoned a chiefe among those Simples with which mithridate and treacle is made, and is mixed in counter poysons and such like compositions.
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.