The Description

            1. Camels' Hay hath leaves very like unto Mat-Weed or Helme; his roots are many, in quantity mean, full of small hairs or threads proceeding from the bigger root deeply growing in the ground, having divers long stalks like Cyperus Grass, set with some smaller leaves even unto the top, where do grow many small chaffy tufts or panicles like unto those of the wild Oats, of a reasonable good smell and savour, when they are broken, like unto a Rose, with a certain biting and nipping of the tongue.

            2. Francis Penny, of famous memory, a good Physician and skilful herbarist, gathered on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, between Aigues Mortes and Pescaire, this beautiful plant, whose roots are creeping, and stalks and leaves resemble Squinanth. The flowers are soft, pappous, and thick compact, and come five or six inches in length, like to Fox-tail; they in colour resemble white silk or silver. Thus much Lobel.

The Place.

            1. This grows in Africa, Nabathæa, and Arabia, and is a stranger in these northern regions.

            2. The place of the second is mentioned in the description.

The Time.

            Their time answereth the other Reeds and Flags.

The Names.

            1 Camels' Hay is called in Latin, Juncus odoratus, and Scænanthum: in shops Squinanthum, that is, Flos Junci; in French, Pasteur de Chameau; in English, Camels' Hay, and Squinanth.

            2. This Lobel calls Juncus marinus gramineus, and Pseudoschænanthum: We call it Bastard Squinanth, and Fox-tail Squinanth.

The temper.

            This plant is indifferently hot, and a little astrictive.

The Virtues.

            A. Camels' Hay provoketh urine, moveth the terms, and breaketh wind about the stomach.

            B. It causeth aching and heaviness of the head, Galen yieldeth this reason thereof, because it heateth moderately, and bindeth with tenuity of parts.

            C. According to Dioscorides, it dissolves, digests, and opens the passages of the veins.

            D. The flowers or chaffy tufts are profitable in drink for them that piss blood anyways: It is given in medicines that are ministered to cure the pains and griefs of the guts, stomach, lungs, liver, and reins, the fulness, loathsomeness, and other defects of the stomach, the dropsy, convulsions, or shrinking of sinews, given in the quantity of a dram, with a like quantity of pepper, for some few days.

            E. The same boiled in wine helpeth the inflammation of the matrix, if the woman do sit over the fume thereof, and bath herself often with it also.