The Description.

            1. The first kind of water Plantain hath fair great large leaves like the land Plaintain, but smoother, and full of ribs or sinews: among which riseth up a tall stem four foot high, dividing itself into many slender branches garnished with infinite small white flowers, which being past there appear triangle husks or buttons wherein is the seed. The root is as it were a great tuft of threads or thrums.

            2. This plant in his roots and leaves is like the last described, as also in the stalk, but much less in each of them, the stalk being about some foot high; at the top whereof stand many pretty star-like skinny seed-vessels, containing a yellowish seed.

Fig. 631. Dwarf Water Plantain (3)

            3. The third kind hath long, little, and narrow leaves, much like the Plantain called Ribwort: among which rise up small and feeble stalks branched at the top, whereon are placed white flowers, consisting of three slender leaves; which being fallen, there come to your view round knobs, or rough burrs: the root is thready.

The Place.

            1. This herb grows about the brinks of rivers, ponds and ditches almost everywhere.

            2, 3. These are more rare. I found the second a little beyond Ilford, in the way to Romford, and Mr. Goodyer found it also growing upon Hounslow Heath. I found the third in the company of Mr. William Broad, and Mr. Leonard Buckner, in a ditch on this side Margate in the Isle of Thanet.

The Time.

            They flower from June till August.

The Names.

            The first kind is called Plantago aquatica, that is, Water Plantain. The second Lobel calls Alisma pusillum angustifolia muricatum, and in the Hist. Lugd. it is called Damasonium stellatum. The third is named Plantago aquatica humilis, that is, the low water Plantain.

            I think it fit here to restore this plant to his ancient dignity, that is, his names and titles wherewith he was anciently dignified by Dioscorides and Pliny. The former whereof calls it by sundry names, and all very significant and proper, as Lemonion, Potamogeiton, Neuroides, Lonchitis: thus many are Greek, and therefore ought not to be rejected, as they have been by some without either reason or authority. For the barbarous names we can say nothing; now it is said to be called Limonium, because it grows in wet or overflown meadows: it is called Neuroides, because the leaf is composed of divers strings or fibres running from the one end thereof to the other, as in Plantain, which therefore by Dioscorides is termed by the same reason Polyneuros: Also it may be as fitly termed Lonchitis for the similitude which the leaf hath to the top or head of a lance which lonche properly signifies, as that other plant described by Dioscoroides lib. 3. cap. 161, for that the seed (a less eminent part) resembles the same thing. And for Potamogeiton, which signifies a neighbour to the river or water, I think it loves the water as well, and is as near a neighbour to it as that which takes its name from thence, and is described by Dioscorides, lib. 4. cap. 101. Now to come to Pliny, lib. 20. cap. 8, he calls it, Beta sylvestris, Limonion, and Neuroides: the two later names are out of Dioscorides, and I shall show you where also you shall find the former in him. Thus much I think might serve for the vindication of my assertion, for I dare boldly affirm that no late writer can fit all these names to any other plant, and that makes me more to wonder that all our late herbarists as Matthiolus, Dodonæus, Fuchsius, Cæsalpinus, Dalechampius, but above all Pena and Lobel, who Advers. pag. 126, call it to question, should not allow this plant to be Limonium, especially seeing that Anguillara had before or in their time asserted it so to be; but whether he gave any reasons or no for his assertion, I cannot tell, because I could never by any means get his Opinions, but only find by Bauhin his Pinax that such was his opinion hereof. But to return from whence I digressed, I will give you Dioscorides his description, and a brief explanation thereof; and so desist; it is thus: It hath leaves like a Beet, thinner and larger, 10 or more; a stalk slender, straight, and as tall as that of a Lily, and full of seeds of an astringent taste. The leaves of this you see are larger than those of a Beet, and thin, and as I formerly told you in the names, nervous; which to be so may be plainly gathered by Diorcorides his words in the description of White Hellebore, whose leaves he compares to the leaves of Plantain and the wild Beet: now there is no wild Beet mentioned by any of the ancients, but only this by Pliny in the place formerly quoted, nor no leaf more fit to compare those of White Hellebore to, than those of water Plantain, especially for the nerves and fibres that run alongst the leaves; the stalk also of this is but slender considering the height, and it grows straight, and as high as that of a Lily, with the top plentifully stored with astringent seed; so that no one note is wanting in this, not scarce any to be found in the other plants that many have of late set forth for Limonium.

The Nature.

            Water Plantain is cold and dry of temperature.

The Virtues.

            A. The leaves of water Plantain, as some authors report, are good to be laid upon the legs of such as are troubled with the dropsy, and hath the same property that the land Plantain hath.

            B. Dioscorides and Galen commend the seed hereof given in wine, against fluxes, dysenteries, the spitting of blood, and overmuch flowing of women's terms.

            C. Pliny saith, the leaves are good against burns.