Of Serapias Turbith, or Sea Starwort.

1 Tripolium vulgare. Sea Starwort.

The description.

1 The first kinde of Tripolium hath long and large leaues, somewhat hollow or furrowed, of a shining greene colour declining to blewnesse, like the leaues of Woade: among which riseth vp a stalk of two cubits high & more, which toward the top is diuided into many small branches, garnished with many flowers like Camomill, yellow in the middle, set about or bordered with small blewish leaues, like a pale, as in the flowers of Camomill, which growe into a whitish rough downe, that flieth away with the wind. The roote is long and threddie. 2 There is another kinde of Tripolium like the first, but much smaller, wherein consisteth the difference.

The place.

These herbs grow plentifully along the English coastes in many places, as by the fort against Grauesend, in the Ile of Shepey in sundry places, in a marsh which is vnder the towne wals of Harwich, in the marsh by Lee in Essex, in a marsh which is between the Ile of Shepey & Sandwich, especially where it ebbeth and floweth: being brought into gardens, it florisheth long time, but there it waxeth huge, great, & ranke; and changeth the great rootes into strings.

The time.

These herbes do flower in May and Iune.

The names.

It is reported by men of great fame and learning, that this plant was called Tripolium, bicause it doth change the colour of his flowers thrice in a day. Indeede the word Tripolium doth import so much. This rumor we may beleeue, and it may be true, for that we fee and perceiue things of as great and greater wonder, to proceede out of the earth. This herbe I planted in my garden, whither (in his season) I did repaire to finde out the truth hereof, but I could not espie any such variablenesse herein; yet thus much I may say, that as the heate of the sunne doth change the colour of diuers flowers: so it fell out with this, which in the morning was very faire, but afterwarde of a pale or wan colour. Which prooueth that to be but a fable which Dioscorides writeth, that in one day it changeth the colour of his flowers thrice: that is to say, in the morning it is white, at noone purple, and in the euening φοινικον, or crimson. But it is not vntrue, that there may be found three colours of the flowers in one day, by reason that the flowers are not all perfected together (as before I partly touched,) but one after another by little and little. And there may easily be obserued three colours in them, which is to be vnderstood of them that are beginning to flower, that are perfectly flowred, and those that are falling away. For they that are blowing, and be not wide open & perfect, are of a purplish colour, and those that are perfect and wide open, of a whitish blew; and such as are falling away, haue a white downe: which changing happeneth vnto sundry other plants. This herbe is called of Serapias Turbith: women that dwell by the sea side, call it in English blew Daisies, or blew Camomill; and about Harwich it is called Hogs beanes, for that the swine doe greatly delight to feede thereon: as also for that the knobs about the rootes do somwhat resemble the Garden Beane. It is called in Greeke τριπόλιον, and of diuers ἀστήρ, it may be fitly called Aster Marinus, or Amellus Marinus, in English Sea Starwort, Serapias Turbith, of some Blew Daisies. The Arabian Serapio, doth call Sea Starwort, Turbith, and after him Auicen: yet Actuarius the Grecian doth thinke that Turbith is the roote of Alypum: Mesues iudged it to be the roote of an herbe like Fennell. The historie of Turbith of the shops shall be discoursed vpon in his proper place.

The temperature.

Tripolium is hot in the third degree, as Galen saith.

The vertues.

The roote of Tripolium taken in wine by the quantitie of two drams, driueth forth by siege waterish and grosse humors, for which cause it is often giuen to them that haue the dropsie. It is an excellent herbe against poison, and comparable with Pyrola, if not of greater efficacie, in healing of wounds either outward or inward.