Of sea Plantaines.

| 1 Holosteum Salamanticum. | 2 Holosteum paruum. | | :--- | :--- | | Flowring sea Plantaine. | Small sea Plantaine. |

The description.

Carolus Clusius that excellent learned Herbarist, hath referred these two sorts of Holosteum vnto the kindes of sea Plantaine. The first hath long leaues like the common Ribwoorte, but narrower, couered with an ouerworne greene colour, with some hearinesse or woollinesse: among which there riseth vp a stalke, bearing at the top a spike, like the kindes of Plantaine, beset with many small flowers of an herbie colour declining to whitenes. The seed is like that of the Plantaine: the roote is long and woodie. The second is like the former, but smaller: the flowers are like to Coronopus, or the lesser Ribwoort. | 3 Plantago marina. | 4 Holosteum Petræum. | | :--- | :--- | | Sea Plantaine. | Mountaine Plantaine. | The thirde kinde which is the sea Plantaine, hath small and narrowe leaues like Buckes horne, but without any manifest incisure, cuttings or natches vpon the one side: among which riseth vp a spikie stalke like the common kinde, but smaller. There is a little grassie plant growing vpon stonie mountaines and rockes couered with grasse, called Holosteum Petræum: it hath many grassie leaues, stiffe, bentie, rough and shearing, as Sheere grasse is: the top of eche grassie leafe diuideth it selfe into diuers parts in maner of a small tuft. The roote is slender and very full of threddes.

The place.

The two first do grow in most of the kingdomes of Spaine. Carolus Clusius writeth that he neuer sawe greater or whiter then neere to Valentia, a citie of Spaine, by the high waies: since they haue beene founde at Bastable in the Ile of Wight: and in the Iles of Garnsey and Iarsey. The thrid doth growe neere vnto the sea side in all the places about Englande where I haue trauelled, especially by the fortes on both the sides of the water at Grauesend; at Erith neere London; at Lee in Essex; at Rie in Kent; at Westchester, and at Bristowe.

The names.

Holosteum is also called Plantago angustifolia albida, or Plantago Hispanicis: in English Spanish hairie small Plantaine, or flowring sea Plantaine.

The vertues.

Galen, Dioscorides, and Pliny haue prooued it to be such an excellent wounde herbe, that it presently closeth or shutteth vp a wounde though it be very great and large: and by the same authority I speake it, that if it be put into a pot where many peeces of flesh are boiling, it will foder them togither. These herbes haue the same faculties and vertues that the other Plantaines haue, and are thought to be the best of all the kindes.