The Description.

            1. The stalk of Groundsel is round, chamfered and divided into many branches: the leaves be green, long, and cut in the edges almost like those of Succory, but lesser, like in a manner to the leaves of Rocket. The flowers be yellow, and turn to down, that is carried away with the wind. The root is full of strings and threads.

            2. Cotton Groundsel hath a straight stalk of a brown purple colour, covered with a fine cotton or downy hair, of the height of two cubits. The leaves are like those of St. James Wort, or Ragwort; and at the top of the stalk grow small knops, from which come flowers of a pale yellow colour; which are no sooner opened and spread abroad, but they change into down like that of the Thistle, even the same hour of his flowering, and is carried away with the wind: the root is small and tender.

Fig. 458. The Other Cotton Groundsel (3)

            3. There is another with leaves more jagged, and finelier cut than the last mentioned, soft also and downy; the flowers are fewer, less and paler than in the ordinary, but turn speedily into down like as the former.

The Place.

            These herbs are very common throughout England, and do grow almost everywhere.

The Time.

            They flourish almost every month of the year.

The Names.

            1. Groundsel is called in Latin, Senecio, because it waxeth old quickly: by a bastard name Herbutum: in Germany, Creuz-wurtz: in Low Dutch, Cruys cruyt, and Cruysken cruyt: in Spanish, Yerva cana: in Italian, Cardoncello, Speliciosa: in English, Groundsel.

            2. Cotton Groundsel seemeth to be all one with Theophrastus his Aphace; he maketh mention of Aphace in his seventh book, which is not only a kind of pulse, but an herb also, unto which this kind of Groundsel is very like. For as Theophrastus saith, The herb Aphace is one of the pot-herbs and kinds of Succory: adding further, That it flowereth in haste, but yet soon is old, and turneth into down; and such a one is this kind of Groundsel. But Theophrastus saith further, That it flowereth all the winter long, and so long as the spring lasteth, as myself have often seen this Groundsel do.

The Temperature.

            Groundsel hath mixed faculties; it cooleth, and withal digesteth, as Paulus Ægineta writeth.

The Virtues.

            A. The leaves of Groundsel boiled in wine or water, and drunk, healeth the pain and ache of the stomach that proceedeth of choler.

            B. The leaves and flowers stamped with a little hog's grease ceaseth the burning heat of the stones and fundament. By adding to a little saffron or salt it helpeth the Struma or King's evil.

            C. The leaves stamped and drained into milk and drunk, helpeth the red gums and frets in children.

            D. Dioscorides saith, That with the fine powder of Frankincense it healeth wounds in the sinews. The like operation hath the down of the flowers mixed with vinegar.

            E. Boiled in ale with a little honey and vinegar, it provoketh vomit, especially if you add thereto a few roots of Asarabacca.